


Zero to Hiro

by SpeedyElite



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Big Hero 6: The Series (Cartoon), Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Other, Post-Big Hero 6 (2014), Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Slow Burn, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2020-04-23 15:45:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 41,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19154077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpeedyElite/pseuds/SpeedyElite
Summary: "No one can know who we are."Hiro Hamada is about to start his second semester at SFIT. With the city saved from Obake's schemes and the Heartless, Big Hero 6 can finally take a moment to relax and enjoy the stresses of college. Thankfully, Hiro has an amazing group of friends that are always there to support him, whether they be from San Fransokyo or somewhere beyond. Secrets can only be kept under wraps for so long, however, and with Sora's increasing curiosity about Big Hero 6, Hiro is beginning to find that secrets can have dangerous consequences. A darkness is rising in San Fransokyo and monsters are beginning to form. ///// Canon-Divergent AU . See notes for details.





	1. Semblance of Normalcy

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Hiro never told Sora who he really is, leading Sora to believe that Hiro Hamada and Super Hero are two different people. Hiro pretends to be the liaison for Big Hero 6, therefore allowing them to work from his garage when necessary, and helps conceal the identities of his team. The events of KHIII San Fransokyo remain the same, except the heroes only talk to Sora with their faces concealed and Hiro helps him outside of his suit under the disguise as a liaison for the leader. Becoming good friends with both, Sora continuously visits the café in hopes of getting to know them both better.  
> Follows the timeline of Big Hero 6: The Series, now including the secondary Baymax, with some Kingdom Hearts lore sprinkled in.  
> Slow-burn relationship. Please enjoy the ride.  
> POST- KHIII Canon-Divergent. Everyone went home and the points don't matter.

“Welcome to the _Lucky Cat Café_. Please have a seat anywhere, I'll be right with you.” 

The  _Lucky Cat_ was bustling with patrons, most of them students gathered together with their laptops and tablets propped on the tables. Conversations floated across the lobby, merging together to create a pleasant hum in the atmosphere. The clinking of dishes and clattering of spoons on the side of mugs was almost inviting, setting a busy, yet somehow calm tone. The décor of various cats made the environment seem homey, though it still held a professional appearance. It truly was a place that served as a cool down spot, for people to socialize, study and simply unwind. And yet, despite the constant buzz of sound in the background, accompanied by the faint ringing in his ears, Hiro Hamada was growing increasingly annoyed with his first shift.

Classes were stressful enough and doubling as a super hero was beginning to derail his sleeping schedule. Hiro yawned, lifting a hand to cover his mouth before he went back to work. He set a round tray down on the small table, stacking mugs on the surface, mumbling in annoyance. He had to keep telling himself that he was doing this for Aunt Cass. Brown gaze panned upward as he watched her work behind the counter, moving with a fluidity that not only required skill, but came with years of experience. Admiration was clear in his softening expression and he had to remember that she was capable of doing amazing things, even without a suit. He lifted the tray, both hands splayed on the bottom as his mood seemed to lighten. Maybe today wouldn't be as stressful as the last few trial runs.

Hiro was finding that living a double life was not as fun as Fred's comics made it seem. Sleep was almost a myth to him lately, the constant need for night patrols doubling since the disappearance of Obake. Hiro had assumed that after the collapse of his labs, the threat would vanish. He felt a lingering doubt, however, that constantly scratched at the back of his mind. He barely scraped by during that semester, which paled in comparison to the near destruction of San Fransokyo and, on a larger scale, the world. Hiro's jaw tightened as he felt the guilt rising to join the doubt, knowing that none of it would have happened if he just listened to authority and didn't follow his own reckless curiosity. Still, the past was past and he could never go back and change what he'd done, he could only relish in the fact that he had stopped it before it was too late. He was lost in thought, brows furrowing as he felt the heaviness of fatigue settling in. He had a class project due in three days, no plans sketched out for it, and a few new appearances of the Heartless once wiped from the city. Hiro was briskly weaving between tables when he heard his name.  
“Hiro!”  
“Uh, yeah?”

Hiro turned his head, the tray swaying in his hands as he struggled to balance it, lifting a hand to stop a mug from rolling and throwing off his balance. He knew that voice and he was almost certain that the owner had left for home a few days ago. His eyes roamed the many tables, squinting slightly as he tried to find the incredibly unique hairstyle.  
“Hiro, over here!” A hand was waving, the warm voice cutting across the café's chatter. Hiro recognized him almost instantly. He offered a small smile, weaving between a few chairs to make way to the corner table. As he neared the table, however, he noticed two other people with him. The girl flashed him a soft smile and a wave, while the other boy simply stared with a strong, cyan gaze. He quickly focused his stare on Sora, a familiar face that caused no intimidation or nervousness. He smiled, a soft huff leaving him as he moved the tray down a little.  
“Hey... Sora. Hi. Again.”  
“Hi! I decided to come back with my friends. They really wanted to try your drinks.”  
“Sora showed us pictures of the cute little cat designs in the coffee!”  
“Oh, that,” Hiro said, laughing sheepishly, “My Aunt makes those.” And he said so with such pride.  
“Oh- Hiro. This is Kairi and that's Riku. They're my friends from home.”  
“It's, uh, nice to meet you,” Hiro said, eyes flicking down at the tabletop, “I'm – well. Hiro Hamada.”  
“How do you know Sora,” Riku asked.

Sora looked over to Riku, blue eyes wide as his lips pursed into a pout. “Riku, you can't just ask Hiro that! I told you, we're friends! We met when I was here in San Fransokyo the first time! I told you this.”  
“You said you knew a hero. You never mentioned someone named Hiro,” Riku said, a hint of amusement in his voice as the corner of his lips curved in a smile.  
“Oh, you know what I meant,” Sora replied, leaning closer as he poked Riku's temple, nudging his head gently, “Don't be so defensive.”  
“Riku's always defensive,” Kairi added in, “Besides, you know how Riku gets around new people. He's shy.”  
“What- I am _not_ shy.”  
“Totally shy.” Kairi giggled, her hand lifting to cover her beaming smile as she watched the two bicker quietly. Hiro watched them, particularly Sora, and the way he seemed to pull them both into his antics. 

It was like he was a magnet, sitting between two metal pins. Every time they pulled away, Sora brought them back in, the warmth of their conversation almost palpable. When Sora had first showed up, Hiro had felt the same magnetic pull, falling in sync with him almost instantly. At the time, he had been elated to find a friend in Sora, creating the bond on his own without any outside influences. As much as he loved the nerd gang, he knew that they wouldn't have known him if it wasn't for Tadashi. While he was grateful for their friendship and valued their presence, he had felt a strong link with Sora that he never had before. Now, however, he felt like that link was severed. Hiro almost felt like he was an outsider, watching the three like he would any other set of people at a table. For a moment, he forgot that he knew Sora all together, his brows furrowing as his eyes lowered. He rocked on his feet, his sneakers making a slight squeak on the coffee stained floor. Teeth bit into the side of his cheek, nibbling in a nervous habit as his jaw grew tight. The excitement of seeing a friend was slowly dwindling down to something akin to disappointment, and Hiro felt guilty for feeling so.

Hiro was never a social person. He chose to avoid social events and, despite being interested in some, was never invited. To see Sora visiting the café more frequently was a nice change of pace and, most times, he spent a long time talking about school and his projects. Sora's endearing and enthusiastic attitude was so inviting and Hiro often forgot that most of what he said went right over his head. Still, he was grateful that Sora was willing to listen. But, doubt slowly crept up once more, leaving Hiro to weigh in on the option that Sora might be visiting for a different reason. What if he suspected that Hiro was the leader of _Big Hero 6_ ? The suits and ideology of hiding his identity seemed to work for everyone else and, for the duration of his first visit, Sora. What if he was showing up to try and piece the mystery together? Hiro felt the worry growing and his expression twisted into a more contemplative stare.  
“-iro?” A hand waved in his face and Hiro blinked rapidly, thoughts fleeing as he looked back to Sora, a sheepish smile forming on his face.  
“You spaced out,” Riku added, lifting a brow, “You feeling all right?”  
“Huh- sorry. Yeah, I- right, uhm,” he shifted the tray in his arms and looked at the three of them, “What's the order? I'll put it in.”  
“Oh, I'd like a hot chocolate with one of those cute drawings, please,” Kairi said, smiling, “And it's nice to meet you, Hiro.”  
“I just want a coffee,” Riku said, lifting a hand in a single wave. Hiro nodded and then wrinkled his nose.  
“Uh, you want anything in it? Cream or sugar?”  
“You can just bring it to the table.”  
“Uh-huh.” He mentally repeated the order before looking to Sora, who seemed to have the most creative streak when it came to his drinks.  
“I'll take, uh, a smoothie! A mango one with whipped cream and maybe some chocolate flakes on top, oh and some strawberries there, too. Oh, and can I get an order of, uh... scones? I think? You know what, just bring us doughnuts with sprinkles and something really cool and edgy for Riku.”  
“O-Okay,” Hiro said, lips twisting into a grimace. That drink sounded disgusting, but he was going to ring it in that way. “I'll be right back with the snacks.” Sora waved.  
“Thanks, Hiro! You're the best.” 

Sora tilted his head, eyes squinting as that bright smile radiated like the sun. Hiro felt something twisting in his chest and his face immediately heated up at the sheer embarrassment. “O-Okay, I'm gonna go do that now.” He turned around, tray in his arms. He barely made a full turn when he felt the tray hit the top curve of a chair, mugs rolling from their neat stack. He scrambled to balance the tray, but it slipped from his hands with a loud crash, glass and ceramic mugs both shattering on the ground, shards sliding beneath a few tables. Hiro winced, looking down at the ground, the sound causing a lull in all conversations, silence lingering before a few chuckles and some murmuring words.  
“Hey, are you okay,” Sora asked, quickly moving to stand up.  
“I got it,” Hiro said quickly, crouching down in frustration. He quickly started grabbing pieces of the fallen mugs, stacking them on the now fallen tray.

He felt so tired. Though the whole mishap had been an accident, Hiro still felt the guilt piling on. There were so many more tables that needed to be tended to and his Aunt was busy making all the drinks. He scooped up more pieces, feeling his frustration ebbing into a slow burning anger, his brows furrowing. The anger was directed at no one but himself, his internal struggles of balancing his life no one's issue but his own. His fingers brushed against another set and he jerked his head up. Sora offered him a sympathetic smile and he set the pieces in his hands on the tray.  
“You okay,” he asked again, tipping his head to see Hiro's face better.

“Y-yeah,” Hiro mumbled, shifting to grab the rest of the pieces quickly, “I'm sorry- I just-.”  
“No, Hiro,” Sora said, reaching out to settle a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Are _you_ okay? You look really tired. Is everything okay? Is _Big Hero 6_ working you too hard?”  
For a moment, Hiro froze, staring at Sora with wide eyes. His worst fear was coming to the surface – Sora knew who he was. He swallowed thickly, trying to develop an answer that might throw off the knowledge, but in all his brilliant corners of the mind, he found no liable excuse. Sora's smile slowly pushed into a concerned expression, watching as Hiro seemed to struggle to speak a real answer, sputtering helplessly.  
“I-I don't know what you're talking about,” Hiro finally said, mentally berating himself for a terrible lie. He went back to picking up the porcelain pieces, clearing his throat as best he could. Sora frowned and Hiro could feel those blue eyes tracking his movements.  
“Hiro, why don't you tell them that you're overwhelmed? I'm sure they can find another liaison while you rest.”

Liaison? Hiro felt all the muscles in his body loosen, their tension fading almost instantly. That's right- he had told Sora that he was the acting liaison for  _Big Hero 6_ , which was why he worked so closely with the heroic leader. He forced a smile and looked up at Sora, shaking his head. He almost wanted to laugh, realizing how foolish he must have sounded, sputtering for an answer he clearly didn't need.  
“It's fine, Sora. Really, I'm okay.” He moved to pick up the tray, carefully balancing it as he moved to stand, “I'll be right back with your stuff, okay? Thanks for the help.” His eyes rose to Riku and Kairi. They were both looking at him, Riku almost unreadable, but Kairi looking worried. “I'm sorry ! I'll be quick!” 

Sora rose and sat back down in his seat, frowning just slightly. He watched as Hiro made his way around the cafe, apologizing as he caught up with a few orders.  
“Seems like he's worn out,” Riku mumbled, “You sure he's just a student?”  
“He works with the heroes here,” Sora explained, drumming his fingers on the table, “I think they're overworking him and he just doesn't want to say anything.”  
“Maybe he's afraid they won't want to work with him anymore,” Kairi offered, resting her chin in her hand, “He seemed really flustered, though.”  
“He's not usually like this,” Sora said, his concern only growing, “I'm gonna talk to _Big Hero 6_ tonight. They need to ease up on him. There's no way he's just tired from school.”  
“How would you know? You never even finished school.”  
“Wha- shut up, Riku! Neither did you !”  
“I'm the only one that finished,” Kairi said, triumphantly grinning as she leaned back. The three began to laugh again, their own little corner of amusement and happiness. 

Hiro was watching them from the safety of the pastry display case, eyes peering over the rim of the top. Sora was making a joke, it seemed, and the others were amused. He felt the ache returning as he looked back down at the pastries he was stacking up for their table. The friends he had made through his brother were amazing, close and people he could never dismiss from his life. But, the truth was still there – they were all older than him by a good number of years and that meant, eventually, they would go their separate ways. Hiro knew they didn't want to be super heroes forever. Sora and his friends were more his age and, as Hiro watched them, he wondered how they managed to balance their lives so well. They seemed so happy and carefree, yet he knew what kind of life Sora was leading before, though he worked mostly from context clues. Hiro frowned, shoulders dipping as he felt the same creep of loneliness that he had once felt in high school. Left out, cast out and singled out ; pushed, shoved and bullied through the short years, reprimanded for being himself, and degraded by his peers. Friends his age was never an issue, because he had never had any friends. Now that he was beginning to branch out and at least try, he could feel the extreme disconnect.

He was starting to wonder if the life he was living was really a life at all.

What if there was something more he was missing out on?

 


	2. Saiichi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We're sending Big Red to you and Sora!”  
> “He'll be there in five minutes.”
> 
> The sewer cover just across the street began to rattle, water seeping up from beneath the metal lip.  
> “Saiichi,” Sora called, throwing out his arm as the bright light of his Keyblade flashed into his palm. He gripped the handle of the starry Keyblade, his knees bending as his brows pressed together in a focused stare.  
> “Too late,” Saiichi grumbled into his communication, arms lifting as his bracers hummed with a magnetic charge.  
> “They're already here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN : Thank you to everyone who is giving this fic a chance! It's been a long time since I've written anything on a public server before! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. While Hiro struggles to keep his identity a secret, Big Hero 6 must face a familiar face with not so familiar changes!

 

Sora was still chewing on his doughnut, brushing sprinkles off his jacket as he made his way down the busy street. His free arm was swinging at his side, eyes staring through the visor, gazing up at the towering buildings. The last time he was in San Fransokyo, he hadn't had much of a chance to explore, preoccupied with the Heartless. The neon glow of the signs, the dark skies and almost highlighted streets reminded him of The Grid. It was a world that he wished he could talk to Hiro about, knowing that with all his genius ideas, he would really like the stories. He could almost hear Donald screaming about _world order_ and that he couldn't tell Hiro anything. With a heavy sigh, he shoved the doughnut into his mouth, finishing it off. Savoring the sweet taste, he dusted his hands together, humming in delight.

The café visit had gone just as well as the others, but there was something nagging him at the back of his mind, clawing its way to the front as he lingered on it. Hiro just seemed off throughout the whole visit, pulling himself away and becoming more withdrawn than he had ever been before. Usually Hiro was very talkative, though he didn't always follow, and interactive with a conversation. Yet, today's visit seemed to have been vastly different. Try as he might, Sora couldn't seem to pull Hiro into the conversation with Kairi and Riku. He almost felt guilty for making Hiro sit down at the table with them, remembering how quiet and distant he seemed.  
“I wonder if he's feeling sick,” he mumbled, tapping his chin with a curved finger.

Sora figured that it had something to do with how tired Hiro had looked. He wasn't sure what kind of school Hiro attended, but Riku had made a fair point – it couldn't have been school that wore him down. Sora had tried to ask after Riku and Kairi left for sight-seeing, but Hiro insisted that he was fine. _Go spend time with your friends._ Sora didn't like the way Hiro had completely pulled himself away, especially after he invited Hiro to show them around.  
' _Sorry, Sora. I've got some work for Big Hero 6 to do. They need suit upgrades. Maybe next time.'_

Sora felt his concern only growing. All Hiro talked about was school, his projects, and the work he did for the super heroes. Did he ever do anything outside of that? Sora had never asked. It occurred to him that he didn't really know Hiro that well, despite their short visits together, and he wanted to change that. There was something about him that just drew Sora in, his curiosity in full control as he constantly poked and prodded the young prodigy for ideas. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know much about _anyone_ he had met in this world. Not _yet_.

“Hey, are you listening?”  
Sora practically jumped, yelping as he bounced on his heel. “Whoa- hey! Don't scare me like that!”

“I called _incoming_. Isn't your visor working?” Sora blinked and lifted a hand, adjusting the visor as he changed his stance, hands propping on his hips. Before he could say anything sarcastic ( jokingly, of course), he took notice of the new armor his heroic friend was adorning. “ _Whoa_ \- cool! Is that new?” He reached out, experimentally poking at the sleek black surface of the armor. It felt a lot harder than the purple one had been, though it still held the same design. And the way the purple visor seemed to glow in the darkness almost reminded Sora of his own. He reached up, adjusting his visor again, eyes wide and full of wonder. “It feels really strong! You look amazing, Saiichi! Did Hiro make this for you?”

Hiro leaned away from Sora just slightly, his face hidden well enough and his voice deeper through force of habit and a vocal scrambler added to the jaw plate of his helmet, yet still wary of being discovered. He had won Sora's curiosity over by supplying a set of false names for himself and the team. As he began to visit more, however, Sora seemed to become more of a guest member to their team, leaving Hiro to scramble for a way to keep them working closely without giving themselves away. _Saiichi_ had been the name he chose for himself, figuring it had the least connection to his own name – far enough to not be similar, and yet common enough to suit his world. Despite numerous runs of practice, Hiro still had a hard time not only answering to Saiichi, but he also struggled with talking about himself in the third person- as if he wasn't Hiro.

“Oh, yeah,” he said, clearing his throat, deepening his voice out of habit, “That's right.”  
“ _Wow._ ”

The increasing curiosity that Sora seemed to show was something Hiro found endearing. He planted his feet, hands on his hips as he let Sora circle around him, looking over the armor with wide eyes. He listened as Sora commented on the plating, the lighting, the visor, the new gloves, down to the very magnetic boots he wore. He laughed a little, shaking his head as Sora rounded about him, standing directly in front of him again. Hiro knew that Sora wasn't from San Fransokyo – he had a hard time believing Sora was from anywhere near the city. And, although he had his own assumptions, he kept them to himself. Judging by their first interaction, Sora was supposed to be _vague_ and mysterious. From the start, however, he looked more like a child in a candy store. He could tell that Sora had experienced little to no interaction with advanced technology. And Hiro had been all too happy to explain certain processes and projects to him. As Saiichi, he continued to show Sora the basics, as well as introduce him to things that would keep his spirits up. Something about the way Sora burst into a room with positive energy captured his attention. He almost wished he had that ability, but there was no way it suited him. No, the rays of light that cascaded from Sora were nothing short of destiny. For _him_.

“He really did an amazing job,” Sora said, finally coming to a stop in front of him, his look of awe slowly settling to admiration. “I don't know how he does it.”  
“Hard work and genius skill,” Hiro answered, clearing his throat immediately, looking away from Sora.  
Sora nodded, letting out a soft hum, before he crossed his arms over his chest, rocking back on his heels.

“Actually, now that we're on the subject of Hiro. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor.”  
“Me? A favor for Hiro?” He had to stop himself from laughing. He didn't think Sora was stupid, but he did find him to be mildly naive. Even so, he found it amusing that Sora was asking him for a favor for, essentially, himself. He had to remind himself that he was _Saiichi_ to the Keyblade Hero, especially with the suit on. He coughed into his hand and lowered his fist to his side, offering the other an inviting smile. No matter what disguise he wore, he would always see Sora as a friend.  
“Yeah,” Sora continued, oblivious to the small moment of hesitation from Saiichi, “See, I went to the café today and-.”  
“I know.”  
“...What?”  
“I didn't want to say anything, but the café seems to have followed you.” He reached out gloved hands, brushing the sprinkles from the other's jacket. “Happens all the time.”

Tan cheeks flushed red as Sora reached up to brush off his jacket, mild embarrassment settling in. “Oh, man,” he whined, the vowel dragging out in the last word, “I thought I got them all off.” Hiro couldn't hold back the laugh that was bubbling up and he leaned away from Sora with a loud snort, laughter soon to follow. Sora paused mid-sweep of his jacket, lips pursing into a slight pout.   
“Oh come on, you could have said something earlier.”  
“Then it wouldn't have been as funny,” Saiichi replied, a hand moving to rest over his abdominal armor, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. Sora found himself beginning to smile, the mirth of the moment contagious. He chuckled, looking down at his jacket, flicking off the last red sprinkle.  
“I guess it was kinda funny,” he muttered, eyes flicking upwards. Saiichi seemed to be settling down, but the amused smile stayed, his head tilting to the right.

Sora was often told that his connections with people were strong and that the bonds only grew as he spent more time with each person. In the moment, he felt an odd fluttering in his chest, his heart stuttering on itself as his eyes quickly tore away from that oddly captivating smile. He had never seen Saiichi smile before – at least, not like that. He had seen him laugh in battle and even joke around with the rest of the team, but there was something about that one-on-one laughter that made his heart squirm. When his gaze returned to Saiichi, however, the smile was gone. It was faintly there, a ghost of itself, but not as wide as it was before. He felt the slightest sliver of disappointment, realizing that he may have made it seem as though he was upset.

“So, this favor,” Saiichi began, tipping his head a little more, “What is it?”  
“Oh! Right.” Sora propped a hand on his hip, the other held out toward Saiichi in an invisible offer. “I was at the café earlier to visit and I noticed that he seemed really worn out. I think he might have been upset or something, because he wasn't as talkative as he usually is.” Brown brows upturned in worry as he continued, genuine concern growing visible on his face. “You know how Hiro is- he always has something interesting to say. And today, well, he just seemed really tired and worn out.”  
“It's possible. He's in college, after all,” Saiichi added, moving to cross his arms over his chest. Sora nodded, humming in confirmation, but still stubbornly continuing.  
“That's the thing. Riku and Kairi both think that maybe it's not the school thing. I thought maybe Hiro was just being shy around my friends,” Sora said, a small frown forming, “At least, I think maybe he was. He seemed to pull away the instant he saw them.”

Hiro winced behind the safety of his visor. Had it really been that obvious that he wasn't comfortable around his friends? It wasn't that he didn't like them. In fact, Riku and Kairi had both seemed to be inviting, though Riku was slightly intimidating. Hiro hated to admit it, and perhaps he was petty for doing so, but he had pulled himself away to avoid the rising monster of envy. Sora got along with just about everyone he met, of that Hiro was certain. And yet, when Hiro tried to do the same, he had always been met with resistance. Riku and Kairi seemed to flow with Sora better, giving him more to chime in about. Hiro had tried to track their conversation, but that was all he managed to do. There was never a moment in which he felt like he was part of it. That wasn't Sora's fault – it was his own. He had never been very skilled in the social department, which left him horribly stunted. He stared through his visor, brows furrowing as he watched Sora's expression grow more and more concerned, his lips moving, but no words registering. He wanted to defend himself, but he knew he could only say so much before it became too obvious that he knew too much to be a stranger.  
“Maybe he's shy,” he offered lamely, dropping his arms to his sides, “I'm sure Hiro has had his troubles in life, too. He's not as easy to opening up as you are.”

“Well, that's just it. He opens up to me,” Sora protested, his tone obviously stating that he wasn't going to shift on the subject, “I mean, when we're alone, he talks to me a lot more. But, today, it was almost like he wasn't even my friend. He just seemed to be the shell of the person I knew. I think maybe he's feeling overworked and stressed out. He does so much for you and your team, but I never hear about anything fun he does outside of all of that. Saiichi, you're his friend. Did he say anything was wrong?”  
“I... No. He's said that school is stressful, but...,” Saiichi began, but he trailed off. With a moment of thought, he reached out and settled a gloved hand on Sora's shoulder, a gentle smile pulling at his lips. Sora was taller than him, but it did nothing to deter him from showing a sign of solidarity and support. Hiro had to try and speak for himself.  
“I appreciate your concern, Sora. You're a really good friend,” he said, words full of warmth and meaning, “After we're through here tonight, I'll make sure to call him off. I'm sure by morning, he'll be well rested and prepared for a new day. He has classes tomorrow, but I'm almost certain he'd like to spend some time with you before you leave for home again.”

Sora smiled and Hiro felt that same twisting in his chest that he had back at the café. That beaming smile that could rival the sun, the squinting eyes and the genuine expression of happiness, relief and joy. Hiro had to do everything in his power from turning beet red. He pulled his hand away and settled it back to his side, looking away from behind the safety of his visor. Sora, however, hooked an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in against his side, cheek pressing to the side of his helmet.  
“I knew I could count on you, Saiichi! Thank you.”  
Why... was Sora thanking _him_ ? All he said was that he would give himself a break. Still, the genuine gratitude made Hiro's chest ache with something unrelated to pain. His friends cared for him, but Sora was so open about it – as if Honey Lemon and Fred made a chemical compound that fused their positive attitudes with hopeful disposition. Sora's smile reflected in his visor and Hiro made the most undignified sound as he realized he was staring right back at sky blue eyes. There it was again – that twisting feeling in his chest and the tingling sensation in his knees that made him want to jerk himself in a different direction.   
“You really are a one-of-a-kind hero!”  
“O-Oh, geez. Don't go inflating my ego,” Hiro weakly joked. He chuckled nervously, wiggling out of Sora's side embrace, clearing his throat.

“Well, now that that's out of the way,” he began, trying to compose himself.  
“Oh, yeah,” Sora said, grinning as he looked around, fist curled at his side, “What's on the agenda tonight? Just regular night patrols?”  
Hiro was just about to explain the plan when his audials crackled with activity. He lifted a finger, tapping the side as he activated his voice communication. “What's going on,” he asked, tone quickly shifting to something serious as he tossed aside his odd moment of feeling flustered.

“ _Saiichi, we have a problem!”  
“High Voltage is back.”  
“Yeah, and did they sure get ugly.”  
“I told you guys- this is Phase Two!”  
_Hiro glanced up at Sora, who was also listening in. “Who's High Voltage,” he asked, tilting his head to the side, “Are they Heartless?”  
“Super villains,” Saiichi corrected, turning to follow the beacon on his visor. The dot was flashing incredibly close. He shifted a foot back, one hand instinctively reaching out to guard Sora.  
_“Incoming-!”_  
 _“We're sending Big Red to you and Sora!”_  
 _“He'll be there in five minutes.”_

The sewer cover just across the street began to rattle, water seeping up from beneath the metal lip.  
“Saiichi,” Sora called, throwing out his arm as the bright light of his Keyblade flashed into his palm. He gripped the handle of the starry Keyblade, his knees bending as his brows pressed together in a focused stare.  
“Too late,” Saiichi grumbled into his communication, arms lifting as his bracers hummed with a magnetic charge.  
“They're already here.”

 

 


	3. Firaga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora stepped back, Shooting Star joining back together in one swift movement. He slid a foot back, twisting the Keyblade in hand, lifting it up toward the sky. The air singed, sparks following the movement of the blade, sparking across the area, dancing along invisible particles. Heat began to flow from the small sparks in waves, growing into the baking feel of an unforgiving sun. Sora grinned, swinging his blade down, fire erupting at the tip of the crescent moon, star blazing red. The Firaga spell blasted across the street, impacting the ground. The balled flame burst apart, spreading smaller flames throughout the street, the heat wave from the spell washing backwards against both of them. Water on the ground hissed in response, fading as coils of steam rose into the air, clouding the area.   
> “Ha! Take that! See, now we have cover and we can get them! You go for the daughter and I'll get- Saiichi?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN : Sorry for the late update ! Here's the next piece of this fantastic puzzle. Thank you to everyone who has been reading and to the new readers ! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. We get to explore a bit of magic, as well as the consequences of invoking fear.  
>  If you haven't seen Season 2 of Big Hero 6: The Series, this contains spoilers for some major villains!  
> Read at your own risk.

The metal sewer cover rumbled as more water bubbled up from beneath, the stench of raw fish quickly filling the space between them. Sora's nose curled up in disgust, his hand rising to cover the lower half of his face. Saiichi did the same, wincing behind his visor as his lips twisted downward in a disgusted scowl.  
“Ugh, it smells like the wharf,” he complained, shifting his stance. Despite the smell, he kept his bracers aimed, fingers curling against his palms. “I thought they said this was High Voltage.”

The crime dancing duo had, as far as Hiro knew, been in jail for quite some time. Yet, they somehow managed to break out, _again_ , which left him feeling mildly frustrated. What was the point in catching the bad guys if they weren't kept locked up properly? He was no officer of the law, but he was _fairly_ certain that the jail system didn't work like that. He took a step back as the cover was thrown off, clanging to the side with an echoing bang throughout the street, the stench even worse than before. He took a step back out of reflex, getting some space between them and the water flooding the street.   
“That's gross.”  
“I don't even know _what_ it is, but it sure smells like dead fish in the summer heat.”   
“So, _gross_.”

Sora smiled, looking to Saiichi with a grin. This friendly exchange was something he had missed about working with these heroes. Riku and Kairi always had something amusing to say in battle, and they often bounced off one another. To have the same dynamic with _Big Hero 6_ was thrilling to him, as well as comforting. With Saiichi, he felt a sense of camaraderie – the same strength that he felt with his islander friends. He could see the smallest twitch of Saiichi's lips, signifying a smirk, before he completely turned away from Sora.  
“No offense, Saiichi, but you've got some weird villains here,” Sora commented, adjusting himself, both hands gripping the handle of _Shooting Star_ , his feet planting as he bent at the knees once more.   
“You have no idea. You should've been here last week,” Saiichi replied, his eyes tracking the readings scrolling up his visor. “We've been having kind of a problem lately.”  
“Problem?”

The water stopped flowing suddenly, the activity almost coming to a stand still. Sora straightened his back, trying to peer down the sewer tunnel, his sight only reaching the beginning of the entrance. Saiichi, however, took a tentative step forward.  
“Ah- Saiichi, be careful,” Sora said, reaching out a hand to try and grab the hero's arm. Saiichi waved a gloved hand in his direction, sliding a foot forward as he arched on his toes, toeing the edge of the puddle, visor flashing as movement was detected at the last moment. Saiichi quickly scrambled backwards, hopping on one foot as he barely avoided the purple sparks cascading across the water, buzzing with electric activity. That was odd – the last time their lightning struck, it was blue. Did they not have the orb anymore? Sora's hand settled on his armored shoulder, pulling him back as he looked at him, concern on his face.  
“Saiichi, are you okay,” he asked. Saiichi nodded, eyes flicking from Sora to the rising blue claw making its way up from the sewer.

Purple sparks coiled between digits as they splayed against the puddle, causing a surge across the surface once again. The arm looked almost slimy in nature, light reflecting off its surface, nothing like the way flesh should look. Slowly, one of the dancers emerged, but the only thing _human_ about her was her clothing. Blue fins in place of once obnoxiously flashy hair, sunken eyes with an eerie glow, and a set of sharp teeth that seemed to radiate hunger. One exited, then turned to help the next out of the sewer. Hiro felt his jaw tighten in both irritation and guilt. High Voltage had been obnoxious before, but what did they do to turn into these... sea creatures?   
“ _Wow_! They look just like-.” Sora had to stop himself. He couldn't talk about _Monstropolis_ here. Saiichi was, thankfully, preoccupied, but he was still worried that it might come up later. Sora scrambled to save his slip up, clearing his throat as he held _Shooting Star_ at his side, walking to join Hiro's side. “Uh... monsters!”  
“Did you hear that, Mama? He called us monsters!”  
“Well, it's what you look like,” Sora began, but Saiichi smacked his arm, shaking his head. Sora frowned, lips pursing into a pout as he rubbed his arm, but there were no hard feelings. He directed his gaze back to the duo, brows arching upward as he registered just what one of them had said.   
“Juniper, sweetie, be quiet. Mama's trying to think of a new routine.”  
“Mama...? That _thing_ is your mom?” Saiichi nudged Sora again and all he could offer was a shrugging motion with wary eyes. Sora was used to seeing monsters like Sully and Mike, but this was beyond that. These ones looked like a form of Heartless.  
“Hey,” Saiichi said suddenly, walking forward, trying to look impressive despite his short stature, “I don't know what's happened to you, but you don't have to take it out on the city. If you surrender now, we can get you to someone who can help change you back.”

Hiro felt a wavering in his voice- a shred of doubt of who he could trust to fix them. Ever since Sycorax had established a better standing in San Fransokyo, monsters had been appearing. He had no real suspicions that Sycorax itself was involved. No, his suspicions lied within Liv Amara, the founder and head leader of the company. She had patterns in her speech that had bothered him since Orso and, though she cured him, everything had seemed to happen far too quickly. It was all too convenient. First Orso, now High Voltage, both showing cases of being dangerous monsters ( though Orso was hardly a danger). This was becoming a pattern. Juniper was staring at him, her eyes squinting as a high pitched laugh slithered between her sharp teeth.  
“Change back,” she asked, claws on her hips as she leaned forward, sunken eyes glaring at both of them, “We don't want to go back to normal lives! This is so much more fun!”  
“We wouldn't give this up for the world! Why would we ever want to go back to normal? Crime will be so much easier,” Barb chimed in, dragging her claws up her finned hair.   
“Lighten up, _Super Zero_! Lemme help you!”

Juniper threw her hand forward, electric coils rushing forward in a striking motion. Purple bolts soared forward, aimed at the heroic duo, striking down with malicious intentions. Sora jumped to the side, turning to catch a glimpse of Saiichi doing the same, just as the bolts struck the ground between them. He watched as Juniper leaped toward Saiichi, swinging her arm out as she lifted her leg, slamming it down to create another static shock, electricity making its pathway toward him.  
“Saiichi, watch out!” He gripped the hilt of _Shooting Star,_ preparing to leap to his friend's defense, eyes focused solely on the way Saiichi scrambled out of the way, aiming his bracers again. Sora had never seen Saiichi fight without Big Red before. During his initial visit, he noticed that Saiichi spent most of the time in Hiro's garage, working alongside the genius to develop the correct action plans. He couldn't recall seeing him fight at all, except for when he showed up to confront the _other_ other Riku. Even before that, Saiichi had been on Big Red's back when they met on the bridge. Did he know how to handle himself in a fight? Sora wasn't underestimating him, but he worried about his friend.  
“I got this, just pay attention to her!”  
“To _who_ ,” Sora asked, but he jumped back with bolts of electricity surged by his head, singeing a few stray strands of his hair. “Whoa!”  
“Look alive, sweetie! Mama's comin' through!”

Sora stepped back, almost trotting backwards as he avoided the impressive swings and kicks. Perhaps Saiichi wasn't used to this type of fighting, but Sora was. Not only had he performed some impressive acrobatics himself, but he had also seen Riku and Aqua in action, giving him plenty of practice and reference. Barb flexed her clawed fingers, electricity buzzing between them as she swiped at him, shooting bolt after bolt toward him. Lifting _Shooting Star_ , Sora slid a foot back and crossed his arms in front of himself. He quickly lunged forward, gliding on his foot as he swung the blade. He managed to hit Barb in the side, throwing her off balance. While the Keyblade had an incredible amount of power toward the Heartless, using its attacks on a normal person was just as painful, though not physically so. Sora had learned, rather quickly, that the mystifying weapon didn't hit like a normal blunt object ( certainly not like the wooden swords from his island). Still, Barb let out a sound of both frustration and pain, twisting herself around to regain her balance. With his fighting practice, Sora had learned to hit in the most convenient places on a Heartless, leaving a numbing sensation that would distract them.   
“Wait a minute-! Saiichi, they're not Heartless!”

“Are you serious,” Saiichi retorted, ducking down as Juniper made a grab for his helmet, “We're not trying to destroy them, Sora! We just need to stop them! If you can't use the keyblade, then use your magic or something- _ow_!” Hiro felt a static shock to his arm, a tingling sensation reaching down to his fingers. He stumbled backward, gripping his arm as he ducked and dodged, feet carrying him back into a lamp post. Cornered, Hiro's mind began to rapidly work, genius gears turning as he began to form a plan. Despite the tingling in his hand, he curled his fingers into a fist and launched a few magnetic discs around himself and the lamp. As Juniper swung her leg up in a high-kicking motion, Hiro ducked down, moving into a forward tumble to evade her completely. If his timing was spot-on, and it _usually_ was, he would be able to evade her while also trapping her between the magnetic fields, creating a harmless, albeit obnoxious, restraint. Juniper let out a whining wail, turning to face Hiro with sunken eyes.  
“You're not playing fair,” she shouted, holding up her hand, fingers splayed. The electricity was caught in the magnetic polarities, but the overuse of it could potentially set the devices off. The water in the street was conducting the electricity, causing a buildup. Hiro took a few steps back, lifting his bracers in defense, crossing them in front of himself. He spared a glance to Sora, who was evading Barb's attacks, _Shooting Star_ split into two, firing bright surges of power to gain space between them.   
“Saiichi,” Sora called, watching as the electricity seemed to crackle along the water in the street. He wasn't exactly educated in science, not since middle school. But, he _did_ remember that Donald had said water could be cleared away within seconds with intense heat. He recalled that it made steam, allowing some cover for them, which would give them the upper hand. He reached out, hand grabbing onto Saiichi's wrist, pulling him toward himself, grinning. “Hold on, I have an idea!”   
“Wait, what-?”  
“Just watch!”

Sora stepped back, _Shooting Star_ joining back together in one swift movement. He slid a foot back, twisting the Keyblade in hand, lifting it up toward the sky. The air singed, sparks following the movement of the blade, sparking across the area, dancing along invisible particles. Heat began to flow from the small sparks in waves, growing into the baking feel of an unforgiving sun. Sora grinned, swinging his blade down, fire erupting at the tip of the crescent moon, star blazing red. The _Firaga_ spell blasted across the street, impacting the ground. The balled flame burst apart, spreading smaller flames throughout the street, the heat wave from the spell washing backwards against both of them. Water on the ground hissed in response, fading as coils of steam rose into the air, clouding the area. “Ha! Take that! See, now we have cover and we can get them! You go for the daughter and I'll get- Saiichi?”  
Hiro had seen Sora use magic before, but he had never felt the intense heat of the flames. The way the ball burst apart, smaller flames scattering across the pavement in an uncontrolled state, reminded him too much of something he didn't want to remember. His ears began to ring, the subtle sound that once silenced after a few seconds of discomfort now rose with a vengeance, loudly screeching. Brown eyes tracked every flame, every flurry, trying to determine if they were safe or not. They weren't within Sora's control, meaning they could ignite anything- absolutely _anything_. He slid a foot back, eyes wide behind his visor, legs frozen in their new position. He couldn't hear Sora speaking to him, concerned tone drowning beneath the roaring sound of a raging inferno, the buzzing of a fire alarm.

“Saiichi?” Sora stepped closer, reaching out a hand, _Shooting Star_ smoking at his side. “Saiichi, can you hear me? What's wrong?”

With his attention off of High Voltage, Barb made way to Juniper, overriding the magnetic polarities to free her. Realizing they were currently in unfavorable conditions, they made their escape. They did so, however, with a surge of electricity that scattered through the mist, causing small bursts of static to pop like fireworks. Sora lifted _Shooting Star_ , using an _Aero_ spell to clear out the mist. He realized, too late, that the women had escaped. But, it wasn't what was important to him at the moment. He turned back to Saiichi, his hand lifting to gently touch his arm.   
“Saiichi, are you okay?” When he received no answer, he dismissed _Shooting Star_ , light engulfing it, before he brought up his other hand, gripping Saiichi's upper arms in tandem. “Hey.” He gave a gentle shake. “Hey, Saiichi. Look at me- are you okay? What's wrong?” Worry was beginning to twist in his chest, his stomach dropping as his heroic friend refused to answer.

It was like he was off in another world, staring listlessly through his visor. Sora crouched down, eyes meeting the ones masked by a glowing purple visor. He wished he knew what to do, but he could only do so much before he was at a loss.

“Saiichi...? Listen to me- try to come back.” A few more moments of silence only made Sora's concerned frown grow.   
“C'mon. Where did you go?”

 


	4. Still Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flames roared in protest as a low hissing sounded from the inside. Like a coiled snake, the fire reared its head, fangs bared as a hiss turned into a roar. Heated air rushed over his skin before a force shoved him back. Oxygen, smoke and flames combined together to shove him back, feet leaving the ground in a temporary moment of flight ; floating adrift in the sky, embraced by the warmth before the rush of burning heat followed. The bright flash of the burst caused stray flames to branch out, catching onto grass and a few draping trees, the loud sound following immediately after. It was quiet at first, a small rumble that erupted into a loud, thundering sound that rattled his bones and threw his heart off beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This chapter is incredibly painful, so prepare for that ! There are line breaks to indicate when the past changes to the present. Thank you so much for everyone reading and for new readers coming in. I hope you all make it through this one. I promise, the next chapter is incredibly lighter.  
> This one just helps solidify Sora and Saiichi's friendship !

' _Tadashi – no!'_

Flames roared over the sound of the blaring alarm, orange and red dancing toward the sky in uncontrolled coils, licking at the flammable walls, burning down the banner draped across the exterior. Windows were alight, image waving with the intense heat washing from the walls, rolling down the stairs and rushing against the skin of his face. Hair pushed back as oxygen rushed out, the showcase floor exhaling a smoky sigh, the groan of the building's support a cacophonous sound in his ears. Hiro heard a drumming beat in his ears, blood rushing like water, yet never quite reaching the flames that grew larger. Fingers curled tight into the warming fabric of the cardigan he knew so well (and often claimed he hated), knuckles going white as his arm began to shake.

His voice felt raw, the only words leaving his lips being, “Tadashi, _no_ !” Silence drifted between them, creating a singular moment frozen in time. Hiro tipped his head, brows upturning, a soft sound leaving him ; a gentle sound that screamed _please_ . He watched Tadashi look toward the raging inferno, the internal conflict visible on his face, an orange glow overtaking his skin as he looked back. Their eyes met and Hiro felt a pit forming in his stomach, organs twisting together as his fingers loosened only a fraction. He wanted to scream, to beg his brother not to run inside ; Callaghan was inside, but that didn't mean Tadashi needed to be. His pleading expression grew as Tadashi's mouth opened and Hiro felt a sharp sting in his chest.  
“Callaghan's in there,” he said, deep voice soft and pleading, as if he were lifting his hands and placing them on his small shoulders, “Someone has to help.”

His fingers slipped through the fabric (or did the fabric slip through his fingers?), and he watched his brother's back enter the flames, orange and red swallowing him, only his hat flying back to him. Hiro stood in shock, staring at the raging building, smoke making his eyes sting, blurring his vision. His shoulders rose and fell with the heavy breaths of his panic, apprehension building with every second that Tadashi didn't emerge from the burning building. The heat burned his mouth, tongue coated with ash as smoke clawed its way down his throat. Lungs burned with the increasing thickness of the smoke, his stinging eyes lowering to find his brother's hat upon the glowing cobblestones.

There were a hundred memories that the hat brought to him, yet he knew that one thing was always true: Tadashi never went anywhere without his hat. Hiro ran forward, crouching down to pick up the dark hat, eyes tracing the _San Fransokyo Ninjas_ logo. _Someone has to help_. He looked up at the flames, watching them soar higher, smoke clouding the stars that often shined in the sky above the campus. If Tadashi was going inside, then he was, too. They were never apart and Hiro was determined that they would be now. He ran for the stairs, hat gripped in his hand. But, fate was cruel to those who tried.

Flames roared in protest as a low hissing sounded from the inside. Like a coiled snake, the fire reared its head, fangs bared as a hiss turned into a roar. Heated air rushed over his skin before a force shoved him back. Oxygen, smoke and flames combined together to shove him back, feet leaving the ground in a temporary moment of flight ; floating adrift in the sky, embraced by the warmth before the rush of _burning_ heat followed. The bright flash of the burst caused stray flames to branch out, catching onto grass and a few draping trees, the loud sound following immediately after. It was quiet at first, a small rumble that erupted into a loud, thundering sound that rattled his bones and threw his heart off beat.

 

* * * * * *

“Saiichi,” Sora pleaded, shaking him gently, trying to understand why his friend wasn't responding. He would have torn off the helmet, but he knew that identities were important and he was not going to betray his friend's trust. With the softest whine of frustration, Sora reached up a hand, tapping the side of his visor.  
“Are you guys on your way? Something's wrong with Saiichi.” There was a crackle before Gogo's voice snapped at him.   
_“What do you mean? Is he hurt?”_  
 _“Big Red got caught up with Trina and Burger Boy. He should be there in a few minutes!”_  
 _“Maybe we should call Globby in for backup.”_  
 _“Globby? Oh yeah ! I bet he'd love the crime-gone-good theme we have going on here!”_  
 _“Zilla, not now.”_  
“I don't think he's hurt, but he's not responding to me.” He turned his attention back to Saiichi, reaching out to hold his arm.

He wasn't sure what was happening or what might have sent Saiichi into such a state. It frustrated him to know that there was so much he didn't know about the people he called his friends. Saiichi was someone he had only known for a short time, but he felt the urge to keep him protected. Feeling a sliver of disappointment, he sighed, lowering his other hand from his visor. He wanted to apologize, but he wasn't sure what he would be apologizing for. While Sora was usually keen for adventure and exploring the unknown, this was one unknown that he wished wasn't so mysterious. To help a friend in need was what he felt he was meant to do, but Saiichi was nearly a stranger and Sora wasn't sure what to do. His hands rested on the armored shoulders, bending slightly to make eye contact.  
“Saiichi...?”

He could hear the distant sounds of sirens approaching, signifying that police authorities were on their way to the scene. He frowned and moved to stand straight, looking over his shoulder as flashing lights came into view, painting the buildings in an alternating red and blue.

 

* * * * * *

The sirens were muffled beneath the sound of a shrill ringing in his ears. His cheek felt warm, pressed against the pavement, the taste of dry ash lingering on his tongue. He coughed a few times, eyes slowly cracking open to reveal the murky surface of the pavement. Hiro let out a soft groan of pain, his palms sliding against the ground, his head turning despite the throbbing pain in the back of his head. His vision, now clearing, lingered on the showcase building, engulfed in flames, windows blown out and paint practically melting. He sank down on his arm, torso twisted as he took in the damage. The moment of shock seemed to pass as he realized that Tadashi was nowhere to be seen. But, he had to be out, right? He quickly scrambled off of the ground, ignoring the pain in his head and the ringing in his ears. He shouted for his brother, looking across the grassy fields, seeking the familiar cardigan or even those teal shoes. “Tadashi,” he shouted, hands cupped around his mouth, “Tadashi!”

The world was spinning as he moved across the cobbled path. Frustration bled into panic as each face his eyes met did not match the face he was seeking. He spun around in his spot, feeling as if it was the ground twisting him around, not his own body. “Tadashi,” he called, his lungs screaming for a shred of mercy from the smoking air. Disoriented, panicking and desperately seeking his brother, Hiro turned back towards the showcase building. Logic was thrown aside as he ran for the building, his sweatshirt sliding down his arms, flames reaching out to try and grab at the fabric. “Tadashi,” he screamed, reaching for the broken door.

Arms grabbed around his thin waist, pulling him back. Muffled voices that he chose not to hear urged him not to go inside, pulling him back. His sneakers skid on the heated ground, struggling to move him forward as forces stronger pulled him back. His heel slipped and he fell backwards, staring at the raging inferno eating away at the building – the building he had shown his invention in, the building he and his brother bonded, the building that he found his future in, the building Tadashi had looked so proud of him in, the building they had become classmates, the building he had finally figured it all out in- the building his brother ran into and never came out.  
“No,” Hiro shouted, struggling against the arms holding him back, “No! Let me go inside -please! My brother- my brother is inside! Someone has to go get him- _I_ have to go get him! _Tadashi_ !” He dragged out his brother's name, screaming the last syllable as he felt the sting of tears in his eyes. He continued to scream for his brother, pulling against the firefighters holding him back. “Someone help him! Please, someone help me!” His breaths were hitching, the smoke catching in his throat, creating a thick layer clogging his words. He began to stammer and stumble over his words, but all words led back to his brother.

“Please. Please, someone help. Someone has to help- please.” His words began to fade, his breaths shaking as he struggled to get a breath in. He could hear muffled words telling him to breathe, but they didn't sound like masked firefighters. They sounded like his friends- no. They sounded like his brother's friends. They were never _his_ friends until Tadashi. The building began to fade, dark edges creeping into the corner of his vision, his breaths more and more difficult to take in. Hands grabbed at his jaw, his shoulders and he was slowly pulled across the cobbled path, farther from the building. Though his struggles were weak, he still fought, dizzying vision trying to find his brother's form emerging from the flames. He _knew_ he wasn't coming back, but denial had already flooded his veins and he refused to give up. Something was placed over his mouth, fresh air rushing down his throat as he choked out a sob, the truth finally stabbing its way through his genius mind. He tried to twist his face away, but the hands holding him were strong, though gentle.  
“Ta-Tadashi.”  
_“Put the mask on him-.”  
_“Someone please...” Two more breaths and his vision swam, his eyelids growing heavier.  
_“You need to breathe.”_  
_“Take a few breaths through this, nice and slow.”_

“My... my brother.” _  
“Get him out of the street!”_

His vision went dark as he felt himself sink back, sirens fading into the darkness, the ringing in his ears the only sound accompanying him as he drifted into unconsciousness.

* * * * * *

Fingers twitched, gloved fingers scratching the pavement of the filthy alleyway. Hiro's eyes slowly cracked open, eyelids fluttering as he tried to clear his vision, purple glow of his visor thankfully dimming the bright city lights. A large hand was cradling his head, a mask settled over his nose and mouth, oxygen rushing through, refreshing his aching lungs. His eyes panned upwards as he recognized the familiar shape of Baymax's helmet, his visor glowing a soft blue as he ran a scan. He would have felt a sliver of panic if he didn't feel so exhausted. Baymax looked to the side, indicating that the team had arrived, the sounds of hushed voices speaking across the alleyway barely reaching his audio receptors.  
“B-Baymax,” Hiro muttered quietly, voice thankfully muffled by the mask, “What... what happened?”  
_“You have experienced a: traumatic flashback. It is advised that you take deep, slow breaths and try to relax. I will : fly you home once Sora has gone.”  
_“S-Sora,” Hiro stammered, lifting a gloved hand to try and feel his helmet, “Did he-?”  
_“No. Sora: does not know. Gogo has: explained.”  
_“He... he doesn't know?”  
Baymax shook his head slowly, easing Hiro up only when he deemed it safe. He kept the mask to Hiro's face, however, keeping oxygen flowing, so that Hiro could breathe the clear air at his leisure. Hiro lifted a hand to adjust his helmet, feeling a cold sweat on the back of his neck. He looked down the alleyway, seeing Sora and the rest of the team talking. Blue eyes, so bright and always optimistic, were flooded with guilt and worry as he struggled to explain what had happened. Hiro let out a soft sound, gently lifting his hand to guide Baymax's hand away, looking up at him.  
“I'm all right, Baymax,” he said softly, moving his hand to rest over the robot's heart, “Thank you.”  
_“You are welcome. Saiichi.”_  
“Saiichi!” Sora shoved between Wasabi and Fred, rushing to his friend's side. He quickly crouched onto his knees, nearly sliding on them, as his hands rose. They hovered as he tried to figure out what he should do first, as if trying to determine if it was all right to even do so.  
“Hey, Sora,” Saiichi replied, his voice oddly hoarse, “I'm-.”  
“Saiichi, I'm so glad you're all right,” Sora cried, throwing his arms around the hero, absolutely overjoyed to see his friend awake. He pulled away, holding Saiichi's shoulders as he looked at him. If Saiichi didn't know any better, Sora looked as if he might cry. “I am _so_ sorry. I... I had no idea.”  
“I... what?”  
“I promise, Saiichi, I'll never use fire again.”

Saiichi said nothing, only making a slight sound of surprise as Sora pulled him in for a hug again. Baymax rose behind him, waiting patiently, finding that a hug was most comforting in this time. Saiichi wanted to pull away, but he found himself leaning into it, closing his eyes slowly.  
“I'm so sorry,” Sora muttered, holding him tighter, the embrace friendly and welcoming, “You don't have to forgive me.” Guilt flooded through him and he frowned. No, he never meant to make Sora feel responsible. He glanced up at the team, eyes locking with Honey Lemon in particular. She motioned with her arms, indicating that he should at least respond to the hug. Saiichi lifted a hand to gently pat against the Keyblader's arm.  
“It's all right, Sora.” He closed his eyes again, wrapping one arm around the other. Sora waited a moment before he pulled away, grinning as he lifted a gloved hand to wipe at one of his eyes, clearing the tear threatening to fall.

Sora was really upset, wasn't he? Were they really such close friends? He felt a twisting in his chest and he couldn't help the feeling of excitement. Was this how it felt to make close friends on his own? Sora was staring at him expectantly, his hand held out with a pinky extended. Saiichi smiled weakly and rolled his eyes. He held out a fist, urging Sora to bump his knuckles instead – a more important promise to him.  
“Still friends?”  
“Still friends.”

 


	5. Classmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second break was always longer, giving him a chance to relax and not worry so much over his scribbled handwriting. Shaking out his hand, he reached for his phone, setting it on the desk as he swiped the screen up. A few missed messaged from Fred was to be expected, but the message from Cass was still left unread. He tapped the message and looked down at his hand, pressing his palm tighter as the messages loaded. He glanced at the now flashing screen, reading over his emergency text about his book. He froze, however, when his eyes trailed along the words typed into the glowing teal window.  
> TXT: Sure thing. I'll be there in twenty.  
> TXT: Nvm. Sent it with Sora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: OOF! Sorry about the sudden absence, everyone! I left on vacation for a few days and I have been exhausted since. This chapter is a little longer than usual, but I wanted to give some good content ! The friendship between Sora and Hiro is beginning to see new doorways and Hiro is beginning to realize that perhaps he should invest time in himself, instead of Saiichi.

“Oh, come on, I know I put it in here.”

Hiro was rummaging in his backpack, frantically searching for the text book he needed for his next class. Walking in the crowded hallway, Hiro was but a speck in the sea of students switching classes, weaving between them as he dug his arm into his bag. SFIT was always bustling with activity, whether it was school hours or after-hour events, and Hiro had grown used to the fast pace of every moment. At the moment, however, he felt extremely inconvenienced by the herd of students around him. With a loud huff, he crouched down by the wall, slamming the backpack on the ground as he searched between notebooks and other textbooks, growing more and more frantic as the title he needed was missing.

A hand lifted to rub at one of his eyes, the other holding his backpack steady. He could feel the tension headache forming already, causing his jaw to tighten and teeth to grit together. He hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night, his head a mess from the events of the failed encounter with High Voltage. By the time he had reassured Sora he wasn't angry (which took a lot longer than he had thought), it was already rounding midnight. After both thanking Sora and saying goodbye, Hiro had only just enough time to sneak back into his room before his Aunt came checking in on him. She had made it a habit lately to check on him at the oddest hours ; her worry was growing and Hiro knew her suspicions weren't far behind. He was beginning to create more and more believable excuses, but she usually found ways around them, as if she detected the lies within. The rest of his early morning hours had been filled with his attempts to complete his assignment, along with a late nap that lasted just short of an hour and a half. The stress of his rushed morning, accompanied by the reeling memories of the night's events, left him feeling utterly drained and his stomach clenched with the reminder that he had skipped breakfast.

“Mister Hamada.”

The deeper voice caused his head to jerk up and he winced at the looming figure. He quickly gathered his backpack in his arms, rising to stand as he frowned, brows knitting together before they rose up. “P-Professor Granville. I was just getting to class-.”  
“You're already five minutes late,” Granville chastised, looking him over. His previous semester had been stressful enough, keeping his identity a secret from everyone, including Granville. Thankfully, she had not only recognized them instantly, but actively chose to keep their secret for them, offering assistance in more ways than one. Hiro knew that she wouldn't allow him much lenience in her classes, especially when it came to assignments, but he had hope that she would at least understand in today's chaotic case.  
“I- I was just on my way- you know, _technically_ I'm early, considering I've been outside the door for the last five minutes, and that-”  
“Mister Hamada,” Granville said, tone dragging as she looked him over, “While I do enjoy conversations in the hallway, I must begin my lecture. Please.” She motioned to the door, her intense gaze lingering on him. There was a softening in her expression and Hiro offered a nervous smile as he gathered his bag and scrambled through the doorway. Ignoring the various sets of eyes on him, Hiro made his way to the back of the classroom and settled at his lab table, dumping his backpack out over the metal slab, stacking his unnecessary textbooks to the side. 

Hiro had a particular way of setting up his workspace that left him feeling both overwhelmed and comforted. His stack of unused textbooks was usually to his right, the book most frequently referenced on top ( though, in this particular case, Hiro did not have the book). Three notebooks were laid out in front of him. The center was for notes, the left for graphing and the right for sketching anything Granville may write or draw on the board. He scrambled to grab a pen, flipping through the center notebook, finding a blank page to begin taking notes. With the messy state of his table, it was no wonder why he didn't have a lab partner sitting beside him. Despite being in college and surrounded by peers that had higher intelligence levels than his high school classmates, Hiro still felt as if he were lingering on the outskirts of it all. Instead of being the smartest, or seen as too smart, he was often compared to his brother, who happened to have such a _legacy_ within the school.  
“Are you ready _now_ , Mister Hamada?”  
“Y-yeah, I just uhm- I can't seem to find my book.”  
“How is that _our_ fault,” Karmi asked from across the room, her face contorted in annoyance as she stared Hiro down, arms crossed, “You're holding up the whole class, _genius_.”  
“Oh come on, Karmi, I didn't forget my book on purpose,” Hiro hissed, looking over his pile one last time to ensure he didn't have it. He must have left it on his desk at home, but asking Baymax to bring it was just asking for an hour wait, as he left the robot in his lab and a trip to the café and back would offer too many distractions.  
“Then just go home.”  
“You're really not helping at all,” Hiro grumbled, brows settled in a flat line as he stared at Karmi. He had tried his hardest to get along with her, but they seemed to be bitterly spiraling down a horrid drain each time they interacted. He fished in his pocket for his phone, lifting it up as he quickly typed out a text to his Aunt, hoping she might be able to bring the book to him.  
_TXT: Can you bring my textbook to campus?_  
TXT: Should be on my desk or on the kitchen table.  
TXT: Pls. 911.   
“Mister Hamada-”  
“Just a second,” Hiro muttered, watching his phone screen. It illuminated once and he saw a notification from Cass, the short preview.  
_TXT: Sure thing. I'll-_.  
“Mister Hamada, I will not wait all day.”  
“It's on the way. I'll just take notes for now- I got it figured out,” he stammered, clearing his throat as he picked up his pen again, “I mean- I'm ready. Yeah. Okay.”

“All right, students, let's get back to it, shall we?”

The lecture had been easy to keep up with in theory, but having to hyper focus on his notes was allowing too much room for mistakes. Fingers pressed against the opposite palm as Hiro massaged the cramp out of the muscle. He had taken far more notes than usual, making sure to note which pages Granville was referencing and what pages to reference for those. He shook out his hand, huffing as he slouched upon his stool. Their first break had only been ten minutes and Hiro had taken that time to go through his notes and ensure he had everything written correctly. The second break was always longer, giving him a chance to relax and not worry so much over his scribbled handwriting. Shaking out his hand, he reached for his phone, setting it on the desk as he swiped the screen up. A few missed messaged from Fred was to be expected, but the message from Cass was still left unread. He tapped the message and looked down at his hand, pressing his palm tighter as the messages loaded. He glanced at the now flashing screen, reading over his emergency text about his book. He froze, however, when his eyes trailed along the words typed into the glowing teal window.  
_TXT: Sure thing. I'll be there in twenty.  
TXT: Nvm. Sent it with Sora._

“All right, class. Let's begin.”

Granville immediately went back into her lecture, picking up where she left off, leaving Hiro to scramble for his pen, flipping his notebook page over. He huffed, his mind now pulled between worrying about Sora coming to _SFIT_ and taking notes on the new information pouring out at a rapid pace. Sora was bringing his book to campus? Sora didn't even know his way around the downtown district, let alone his way through the halls of the college. Hiro groaned, burying his face in his hand, eyes peering between his fingers at the now blurry board. As if he wasn't already stressed, he now had to worry about Sora possibly getting lost in the halls. He could only imagine the trouble he could get into – did he even know what classroom to go to? Hiro scrubbed his hand up and down his face, eyes closed behind his pressing palm.  
“Mister Hamada, are you _sleeping_ during my lecture?”  
“No, Professor,” Hiro said suddenly, eyes opening as he lowered his hand. He continued to write, face heating from the embarrassment. What a _disaster_.

Sora? _Sora?_ The text had been sent over half an hour ago. With his luck, Sora was already interrupting every class throughout the campus shouting for him. He could just imagine Sora opening each door and asking if Hiro was in the class. Worst fears became a slow reality as he heard a familiar voice. There was a muffled _thank you_ from behind the door, a lot louder than it should have been. Hiro jerked his head up as the door to the classroom swung open, the sudden motion causing the person behind it to stumble, laughing a little.  
“Geez, that door is so heavy,” the brunette said with a light laugh, hand scratching the back of his head as tan cheeks tinted pink from embarrassment, “Sorry about that!”  
“Can I help you,” Granville asked, her tone obviously one of both curiosity and annoyance. Hiro groaned and dropped his head to his table, sliding his stack of books in front of himself to hide. What was Sora _thinking_? As if he didn't already stand out, now he was going to have to explain Sora's sudden appearance.  
“I'm looking for Hiro Hamada. I was told he was in this class- oh man, did I get the wrong room again? The other teacher pointed me in this direction.”

“Hiro Hamada.”

Slowly, Hiro pulled himself to look over the rim of his stacked books, brown eyes wincing as he made contact with Granville. She was staring at him, one brow slightly risen, the other pressed tight above her piercing stare. She motioned to Sora and then pointed to him. The entire class seemed to be looking between the two, as if there were an invisible standoff occurring. Sora, however, broke through the tension with his usual grin and a hop in his step. His expression seemed to light up at the sight of Hiro and, despite feeling embarrassment choking him from the inside, Hiro felt the same fluttering in his chest that he had felt before.  
“Hiro! I'm glad I finally found your class,” Sora said, quickly making his way between the lab tables, coming to a halt beside the table. “You won't believe the day I've been having-.”  
“Sora-.”  
“First, I went to the café to see you and your Aunt was really busy and I was trying to help her, but man, she moves too fast-.”  
“ _Sora-.”_  
“And then she asked me to bring the book to you, because she wasn't going to be able to get away. And I didn't even know where to go-.”  
“Mister Hamada, are you _finished_?”  
“Sora, just- sit down!” A hand shot out and Hiro yanked Sora's collar, pulling him down to the level of the stools, practically shoving him to sit. Sora laughed a little, embarrassment clear as he lifted a hand.  
“I'm sorry,” he said, addressing the class before he settled atop the stool more comfortably. He held out the textbook, practically beaming as he felt the rush of success. Hiro took the book, muttering a thank you before he opened it quickly to the relevant page. Granville cleared her throat and began again.  
“Now that we're done with _interruptions_ for the **last** time.”

 

* * * * 

Sora was staring at the board, blue eyes wide as he tracked every written equation with a curious wonder. He hadn't taken many classes since he left Destiny Islands, never having time between saving the world from Darkness and restoring Light. He had made it through the first few classes of middle school, but he never managed to make it to high school courses yet. Although Hiro was only a year or so younger than him, Sora felt as if he was  _ definitely  _ years younger than his peers. A quick glance around was all he needed to determine that there were many older kids in the class – perhaps even young adults. He had his chin propped in his palm, the other resting atop the stack of books. He could feel the tugging of sleep, a yawn bringing light tears to his eyes. He wiped them away and turned his head, cheek pressed against the top of the books. He watched as Hiro wrote quickly, his eyes flicking from one notebook to the next, then to the textbook. Like a well-tuned machine, Hiro moved through the same motions at a timely pace, Granville's voice a comforting sound in the background.

Hiro was writing down every equation, taking a moment to scribble notes on the side of them, arrows pointing to specific letters and areas. Sora pulled the stack of books closer to him, arms crossing atop them as he rest his cheek against crossed forearms, blue gaze lingering on the expression on Hiro's face. He looked so interested in the content he was learning, completely invested in not only learning it, but applying it. There were silent moments of triumph as he solved a complex problem ( maybe it was only complex for him, because Hiro seemed to get it rather quickly), and a look of confidence as he threw his arm in the air to answer. It was admirable and Sora found himself wanting to learn more.

“Hey, Hiro,” he whispered, leaning closer as his eyes watched calloused fingers twirl the pencil so effortlessly in his hand, “What class is this again?” Hiro glanced over at him, a quick flick of brown meeting blue, before he checked the front of the class. Granville was writing on the board, which gave him a moment to spare. He leaned over toward Sora's side.  
“Intro to Quantum Physics,” Hiro said quietly, his eyes on his notebook once more.  
Quantum Physics? He'd never heard of such a complex topic, though Sora knew there was a chance he encountered the situation once or twice. He shifted to see Hiro's notes better, looking from them to the board, then back. He had seen Hiro invent the visor for him, but he had never seen Hiro's method of learning before. There was a difference between inventing and learning- Sora was sure he could see it now. When Hiro worked in his garage, he was completely focused and comfortable. Sometimes, his tongue would stick out to the side as he wrinkled his nose, brows scrunching together. But here, in class, Sora noticed that his eyes were wide, large like a cat's, taking in everything they could. There was a curiosity inside them that was almost radiant with light.  
“Wow,” he whispered, a marvel in his eyes as his gaze slowly panned upwards, landing on Hiro. “And you understand it?”

Hiro's pencil paused in movement and he slowly looked over to Sora. There was a nervousness in his eyes that seemed to form from the question. “Well, yeah,” he whispered back, brows furrowing, “Is... that okay?” Apprehension quickly formed in his chest, causing his heart to skip a beat as he noticed the way Sora was staring at him. Was he really such a spectacle? Hiro felt the prickling sensation of his hairs standing on end. He wasn't afraid of the question, but of the reaction to the answer. So many times before, Hiro had been asked if he really understood the content he was being taught. In the beginning, he had answered such a question with confidence. A young child in a higher grade than he should be, beaming with pride as he exclaimed that it was all so easy. He remembered how his classmates had cornered him after school, asking if he really understood it all. He had said yes, thinking that maybe they would like help or to even become friends. He went home with a bruise on his shoulder and a broken backpack strap. He had lied to his brother – said he fell down on the way to school and that was all. Years of the negative reactions caused the tension to rise within him. Hiro scratched his forearm, eyes lowering as Sora seemed to hesitate.

“What,” Sora asked, eyes widening as he pushed himself off the stack of books, leaning closer to Hiro, “No! I think that's awesome! Hiro, you're so smart. I don't know how you do it!” Black brows rose in surprise, a small smile pulling at Hiro's lips. Sora smiled warmly, watching the apprehension wash away from Hiro in an instant as his shoulders sank in relief. He took note of the embarrassed pink of his cheeks, the nervous little scratch to the left cheek, eyes averting. Sora couldn't help but feel something pulsing between them. Like the beat of a heart, the thrum of a drum, Sora felt a single moment of synchronizing. He laughed a little as he leaned back and Hiro went back to his notes. He felt so lucky to have a friend as smart and innovative as Hiro. He was self-driven, motivated and eager – Sora admired his studious qualities and his intelligence, feeling pride in the fact that he could call himself a friend. 

“Th-thanks,” Hiro said quietly, quickly turning back to his notebook. Sora crossed his arms over the books once more, watching Hiro frantically write down a few notes, though Granville wasn't lecturing anymore. It took a moment for Sora to realize he was staring and he looked away, blue gaze landing on a poster on the wall- a map of San Fransokyo. What an odd feeling in his chest – like his heart was willing him to say something else. He closed his eyes, trying to figure out what the feeling meant and what he should say. He slowly relaxed, dozing off somewhere between Granville asking for last minute questions and Hiro asking if there would be a test.

 

* * * *

“Sora.”

“Hm?” Sora turned his head and found Hiro staring at him. “What?” He moved to sit up as Hiro tugged the stack of books away, shoving them into his bag one by one.  
“I said class is over,” Hiro said, rolling his eyes, “Unlike you, I have a whole day of classes and papers to do. You can always go, if you want. You don't have to stick around here.” As Hiro zipped up his backpack, Sora stood, looking at the shorter with a tilted head.  
“Are you kidding? I'd love to stick around all day,” he said, stretching his arms over his head. He dropped them to his sides, swinging them idly. “This school is really huge and it looks amazing! Maybe you can show me around? I mean, unless you have to go to class right now?”

“O-Oh, uhm... no.” Hiro adjusted his bag on one shoulder and looked up at Sora. He wanted to tag along for an entire school day? He checked his phone, seeing a message from Cass asking if he got the book. With a roll of his eyes, he quickly answered her, reassuring her that he got the book and to warn him next time. He checked the time before he tucked his phone back into his pocket. He grabbed the strap of his bag with one hand, looping his arm through the other, shrugging the pack on. His back was already aching from all the books.

“Well, I actually have an hour break right now before my next class,” Hiro said, looking around the emptying classroom. Granville was speaking to Karmi, walking from the room with a passing glance to Hiro and Sora. Hiro mouthed an apology and looked back to Sora, smiling slightly. “I guess you can stick around if you don't fall asleep in  _ every  _ class,” he joked. Sora's brows pinched and he made a frustrated sound, a pout forming. He propped his hands on his hips, leaning forward to meet Hiro at eye level.

“Hey, it's not my fault! I was up late last night helping Saiichi out.” He stood straight again. “Besides, I'm starving.” Arms crossed behind his head as he idly swayed right to left. “I didn't get to eat anything before I left the café.”

Hiro tilted his head to the right, looking Sora over. So, he still hadn't figured it out. Saiichi and Hiro were still two different people. Hiro felt relief wash over him and he smiled, feeling a little better about Sora being there. At first, he had been worried about Sora not only embarrassingly barging into the classroom, but also asking invasive questions about the night's events. With the looming question of whether Sora knew who he was or not answered, he felt a more optimistic mood settling in, an eagerness to keep the topic far from the previous night.

“Well, we have a pretty big cafeteria. We can head there and get some lunch before going to the lab.” There was an idea. Sora's eyes lit up, blue brightening like the sun's dawning sky.

“Whoa, what- I get to see your lab? And it's all yours? Do you have projects in there that you're working on? You gotta let me see!” His grin was growing wider, his anticipation almost contagious. Hiro felt that fluttering feeling again, his chest constricting as his heart threatened to slam through his rib cage and sternum. He cleared his throat, voice cracking at first, but settling back once he contained it.

“Oh, sure,” he said, voice wavering slightly as he motioned with an arm, “Well, come on. Let's go get lunch and then I can show you the labs that you're so excited about.”

Sora laughed loudly and nudged Hiro's shoulder, walking alongside him as they made their way from the classroom. There was something about the way they seemed to walk in tandem, right legs moving the same time as the left, pace completely even. Without missing a beat, Hiro fell into sync with Sora once again, idly listing off the many places to eat. As he counted them on his fingers, Sora's eyes lingered on the relaxed smile on his face, watching as Hiro became more and more comfortable with his presence. Expression softened, a hopeful smile forming as Hiro continued to talk, an endless string of details and descriptions that were slowly fading into the background noise. This was the Hiro he remembered from his first visit. The genius inventor that had so much heart and so many ideas. The friend that talked to him, growing more and more animated as he became passionate about his craft. This was the Hiro he had been worried was gone when he had first seen him in the café.

Hiro felt a sense of normalcy with Sora walking next to him. He was able to freely talk to him without the fear of judgment from his other friends. He found himself feeling excited, though he hid it very well. Showing Sora his school and his lab, although seemingly boring, was just as exciting to him as working on his personal projects. Sora wasn't like the others – he wasn't a genius like them, nor was he too educated in technology. Hiro found it as an opportunity to introduce something new to Sora- something that would astound and amaze him. Something that only  _ Hiro  _ could show him, not Saiichi. Perhaps it was counterproductive, but Hiro was beginning to realize that he wanted Sora to know  _ him  _ as a person- as himself. While he had the opportunity, he wanted to take advantage of the fact that Sora didn't know that Saiichi and Hiro were one in the same. 

Never before had he made a friend on his own, without outside influences, and kept them interested in retaining said friendship. Maybe Sora would see that he was more than the liaison for _Big Hero 6,_ that he was just as interesting as the super hero he masked himself as during the city's times of need. If Sora could see that he was more than a side kick, maybe he would tell the truth about where he was really from ( Hiro knew he was lying, there was no hiding that), and that maybe he would _trust_ him with the details.  
“Oh, wow! You guys have so much food,” Sora said in awe, eyes roaming the large cafeteria, “I don't even know where to start!” He looked over to Hiro and the genius laughed a little, tipping his head as he nudged the taller toward the counter.  
“Then eat everything, genius.”

If he could show Sora that Hiro was just as interesting as Saiichi, maybe they would become  _ better  _ friends. 

 

And maybe, just  _ maybe _ , he would keep coming back. 

 


	6. Pier 93

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wanted to feel the same connection with Hiro that he felt with Riku and Kairi – a bond between them that could transcend space and time. He couldn't force it- he needed to learn more about Hiro first. Part of learning about him was learning where the boundaries were – what he could and couldn't say and how Hiro would receive it. Sora tipped his head, brows rising slowly. Maybe if he learned more about the technology Hiro was so fascinated by, he would learn more about him in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: OOF ! I am so very sorry for disappearing for a while there! Writer's block is horrible! It looks like things are beginning to pick back up, however. I have a new fic in the works, but rest assured, I will finish this one first! Sora and Hiro are becoming closer, strengthening their friendship and tightening their bond. The fear of being compared to his alter-ego, however, is driving Hiro to act a tad irrational. Sora's blundering words aren't helping! Thank you all for sticking with me! Enjoy !

“Whoa, did you see that? That robot just cleaned up that mess and caught that guy's drink before it fell. I didn't know you guys had robots all over the school. This place is amazing!” Sora's head was whipping left to right, eyes tracking every new detail ( which happened to be mostly everything), a grin on his face. They were seated just beside the stairs leading to the upper level of the large food hub, conversations blending into one solid sound- white noise that lingered in the background. Hiro had made sure to grab two trays, though he was mostly asking Sora for which food he wanted while trying to keep him from breaking the more _advanced_ lunch wheels.  
“Well, those are the new security bots. The custodial bots, the ones that clean, are the older models that were modified to keep the campus clean. It's kinda cool, really- did you know the base data codes are the same for both bots, but the functional lines are different for each, which leaves room for customized firmware?” Before he was done explaining, Hiro knew that Sora would have been lost in the technical jargon. Sora was staring at him, head tilted to the left, hands resting on his tray.   
“Er... nevermind,” Hiro mumbled, looking down with a sudden wave of embarrassment. He had a tendency to forget that Sora wasn't quite as familiar with their technology, despite claiming that he was. He poked his fork into the rice mound on his tray, brows furrowing. How was Sora ever going to like hanging out with him if he kept acting like he knew everything? Not only that, but Hiro had to spend a majority of their conversations explaining what the first half was even about- no one wanted to deal with that for long. He tried to pick the conversation back up with a joke, hoping it would ease the tension he had created. Sora's expression changed, confusion melting to concern. Hiro seemed to pull away when he became aware of what they were talking about. Was it something he was doing or was it something Hiro simply did and he had never realized it?

Sora suddenly found himself wanting to pull Hiro into his circle of friends again. Riku and Kairi would love to hear Hiro's ideas, wouldn't they? He felt a determined goal forming in his mind as he watched Hiro look over at him, laughing at a joke he'd made. Sora didn't register it, but he laughed all the same, shaking his head. Maybe dragging Hiro directly into their circle hadn't been the right approach. He wanted to feel the same connection with Hiro that he felt with Riku and Kairi – a  _ bond  _ between them that could transcend space and time. He couldn't force it- he needed to learn more about Hiro first. Part of learning about him was learning where the boundaries were – what he could and couldn't say and how Hiro would receive it. Sora tipped his head, brows rising slowly. Maybe if he learned more about the technology Hiro was so fascinated by, he would learn more about him in the process. 

“Hey, Hiro,” Sora said suddenly, accidentally cutting the other off, “After class today- are you busy?”  
“Uhm, well. I had a few things to do for-.”  
“Nuh-uh,” Sora chimed, lifting a finger, “I specifically asked Saiichi to lay off for a while. He told you, right? Didn't he?”   
“Oh, uh... well. I mean, I haven't heard from Saiichi since yesterday.” Watching Sora's expression fall, Hiro quickly backpedaled and lifted a hand, waving it for Sora to see. “Oh, but I think I might have gotten a text. Something about a well deserved vacation?”

Hope lit within blue eyes, shining in a way that Hiro could never describe or understand. Sora's expressions were always so bright and animated, pulling anyone around him into the happiness he bubbled around himself. He couldn't help but offer a small smile in return, eyes averting as the expression on Sora's face brightened. Like the sun, his rays of happiness and cascaded across the table ; impossible to ignore, Sora was pulling Hiro in more and more, until he couldn't help but look back at him, smile growing just slightly. Maybe a vacation was a  _ good  _ idea, his  **best** yet. Hiro needed a break from Saiichi.

“That's great,” Sora repeated, reaching over to grab Hiro's shoulder, giving a gentle shake, “After your classes, we can go do something exciting here in the city! I've never seen such a big city before. I want to take lots of pictures to show all of my friends back home.” And the other worlds, but he had to keep that part to himself. He internally groaned at the idea of having to keep so much kept away from someone as endearing and smart as Hiro. Sora chuckled and scratched the back of his hair, tipping his head, letting the nerves wash away. “I mean, if you want to!”  
“Well,” Hiro said, lifting a finger to tap his chin, “I guess I _do_ owe you a tour of the central part of the city. Downtown is more touristy and the central area is more buildings and businesses. Still, there are sights to see.” He supposed one day away from patrol would be fine. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and quickly sent out a text to the team, telling them he needed the night off to study. As soon as he sent it, he felt a sliver of guilt. He hated to lie to them, knowing how important their trust with one another was. But, he had lied to them only because he wanted more time with Sora to get to know him better and he couldn't do that with his friends around. Like this, one-on-one, Hiro was learning more about Sora and adjusting to his sunny disposition. And Sora seemed to be getting along with him well enough, although a few bumps in the road were expected. If Hiro were to invite Sora's friends _and_ the nerd gang, there would be too much to compare him to. Hiro was afraid, though he wouldn't admit it aloud, that Sora would find him too boring to retain any form of a friendship. Sora wasn't like that ( and showed no signs of developing such an attitude), but Hiro was still apprehensive of losing out on the _one_ friend he had managed to make on his own. Selfish as it was, Hiro was keen on keeping that possibility as far as he could. “I have class in ten minutes. After that, we're free to take off. I've got a head start on all my projects.” Another lie, but Sora didn't need to know that.

“Oh, hey, Hiro. Do you think I could take some stuff home for my parents? I think they'd really like some of the little statues and stuff you guys have on the pier.”  
“You mean _Pier 93 ?_ Well, I mean, it _is_ the biggest tourist spot here. But, if we're planning on going there, you're gonna wanna wear a jacket. The bay wind gets pretty cold and gets way colder after, like, six.”  
Sora beamed with confidence, scooping a spoonful of rice and holding it up, puffing out his chest.  
“Not me! I don't get cold. I'll be perfectly fine!”  
Hiro smiled and rolled his eyes. “Okay, hot shot. Whatever you say.”

 

* * * * * * * *

“It's  _ freezing  _ out here. Are you sure it isn't going to snow?” Hiro paused in his step, turning to regard Sora with a lifted brow. Snow? Did he think this weather was cold enough to cause snow? He snorted, propping his hands on his hips, tilting his head.  
“I thought you said you didn't get cold,” he teased, rolling his eyes as Sora sputtered out an excuse, though he didn't register it entirely. He was distracted by the way Sora was holding his arms close to himself, shivers causing him to shake a little harder than usual.   
“I can't help it! I thought the ocean was supposed to be warm and sunny. You know, they call this whole place the sunshine state, don't they?”  
“Well, this is the _ bay _ , Sora. The bay is the ocean, yeah, but it's not like the pictures you see. San Fransokyo has a really different climate than the southern cities. Like, it gets  _ way  _ hotter down there than it is over on this coast.”  
“I guess that makes sense,” Sora replied, “I guess I'm just a little too used to the islands being one temperature, or at least close to the same all the way around.”  
“Islands, huh? And where are those exactly?”  
“Oh, well, they're not from this wo _ hoa _ ! That's some cold wind!” 

Sora laughed nervously, blue gaze quickly locking with Hiro's inquisitive stare. With a rather bemused expression, Hiro leaned forward, a brow rising higher. He gave Sora a knowing stare, curiosity flooding his eyes, an eagerness to  _ know  _ brightening the center of brown pits.  
“You know I'm a genius, don't you,” he asked, tone flat as he looked Sora up and down, as if adding his  _ IQ  _ from his stare alone, “I  _ know  _ you're lying about where you're from.”

“What,” Sora replied quickly, dragging the _ah_ sound out as he struggled to think of something to say, “Nah. I just, uh, you know. I'm just not from around _here_ , that's all.”  
“Sora, you're impressed by the simplest pieces of technology,” Hiro huffed, rolling his eyes, “You can _tell_ me, you know. I'm not gonna tell anyone.” Sora pressed his lips together in a thin line, cheeks puffing as he tried to hold back the secrets he found himself wanting to spill. For that brief moment, Hiro looked so confident and curious, but it was fading into disappointment. “Fine, don't tell me.” 

“Oh- Hiro, it's not that-”  
“Anyway,” Hiro said, motioning with his hands, “Come on. I'll show you the coolest part of this place. It's upstairs.”  
“Hiro-”  
“This way!”

Sora frowned, letting out a long sigh. Guilt was bubbling up from his stomach, pushing its way up through his chest and lingering in his throat like a lump. His gaze lingered on Hiro's back, watching his small shoulders dip, his arm lifting to point at the stairs as he walked away from him. There was something about Hiro that drew Sora to him- a brightness that radiated in his heart and a kindness that he knew very well. World order was such a hard thing to maintain, especially when he was trying to make his connections stronger. Trust was a huge part of solidifying connections and though Sora knew he shouldn't, he felt like Hiro was someone he could trust with at least a little bit of the truth. He moved to follow Hiro, reaching out his hand to quickly grab his arm. “Hiro, wait.”  
“Huh- what's wrong?”  
“Listen, I'm not _ trying  _ to be rude,” Sora said, fingers curling into the material of Hiro's sleeve, “It's just that there are strict rules I have to follow and I can't tell people where I'm from. All I can say is that it's not from around here- you're right. But, there's a specific balance I have to keep and I really don't want to risk being banned from visiting here because I broke the rules.”

Hiro stared at Sora, a smug expression slowly spreading across his face. Not only was he right, but Sora's will to keep a secret seemed to be loosening. He knew that some things were better left unsaid, but his curiosity was unrelenting – Hiro wanted to know. Lips twisted in the corners, right side lifting in a smirk as he fully turned to face Sora, his arm falling to his side as the other released it. “You know, Sora, rules were made to be broken.” he advised, settling one hand on his hip, the other reaching out to nudge the taller in the chest. “ _ You  _ should break them more often. I bet you'd have way more fun.”  
“What- no way,” Sora said, throwing his hands out, “Did you not hear what I just said? If I get caught breaking the rules, I'll get banned from ever coming back!”  
“Sora, do you hear yourself? _ If  _ you get caught.” Hiro held up his hand, motioning around. “Who's here to catch you?”  
“Hiro,” Sora whined, dragging out the last vowel, “ _ Please _ . You really  **can't** tell anyone anything I tell you. I'm serious.”  
“Wow.  _ You _ ? Serious? That's impressive.”

Sora sputtered and reached out, playfully nudging Hiro in the shoulder. “Stop it.”   
“All right, **islander**. Let's go.” With a laugh, the genius turned and tugged on Sora's arm just once before he released his hold, making his way up the stairs. Sora rolled his eyes with an exasperated sound, following Hiro's lead. With the fluttering nerves settling, Sora finally had time to peer into the windows of the shops, often finding excuses to go inside to escape the cold chill settling over the pier. With a quick word to Hiro, he ducked into a shop he had previously been eyeing, the shells in the window appealing. He found that the city had quite a lot of tourist shops, but the ones on the pier held that ocean aesthetic that he knew his parents would enjoy.   
“Oh man,” Sora exclaimed, holding up a wind chime made entirely of sea shells, “My mom would love this.” He gently hung it back on the rack and made his way to the counter, looking over the charms encased in glass. “She would love these, too.”

To say he was homesick was a slight understatement. Although they had succeeded in their long mission and returned home, Sora still felt that yearning for adventure. It wasn't something as strong as it had been before, knowing now what he hadn't then, but he still felt curious. It was that same strong curiosity he felt that had led him back to San Fransokyo. Sora had been content with keeping the world order, lying to Hiro's face with little concern, until he saw the same yearning in those brown eyes. Hadn't Hiro mentioned another dimension before? Was that why he was so keen to know? He had seen the way Hiro's eyes lit up, the way his shoulders rose and lungs filled with breath to fuel a million questions. And, like a pin to a balloon, Sora deflated it all with his sputtering excuses. He mentally berated himself for shrugging Hiro off as if he meant nothing- they were friends and Sora wanted his friends to be just as happy as he was. How could he pretend he didn't know how it felt to want to know more- to yearn for lands beyond the horizon? With the ability to safely travel between worlds, Sora couldn't help but begin to journey out again, although it was mostly to revisit worlds he had previously seen. Yet, he stood in the store, staring down at the bracelets, guilt causing him to chew his lower lip. “I shouldn't have said that,” he mumbled to himself with a dismayed frown.  
“Sora.”

Brunette jumped as he heard the other's voice, turning around, eyes focusing not on the item being held out to him, but the expression on Hiro's face. Thick brows were arched, smile pulling at his lips as he nodded his head, hand pushing out the light blue material. Sora blinked and reached out, taking the cloth from Hiro's hands, unfolding it. Light blue fabric interrupted by an electric pink zipper, San Fransokyo scribbled across the front as if painted in swift motions. He crossed his forearms as he twisted it around, seeing the famous bridge printed on the back in gradients of pink, orange and yellow. Turning it back around, Sora looked up to Hiro, tipping his head in a silent question.   
“It's a sweatshirt,” Hiro said dully, rolling his eyes.  
“I know, but-.”  
“It's cold outside, Sora. Just take it. Consider it a souvenir from me to you.” He nudged the other in the shoulder, pulling his hand back, arms crossing loosely over his chest. “So, did you find anything you want?”

Sora was too distracted, looking over the sweatshirt with an interested gaze, smile forming as he realized just what it meant. A gift from Hiro to him, giving the sweatshirt more meaning than simply buying it himself. He quickly slid it on, the softness of the material inside warming his cold arms instantly, resulting in millions of small bumps along his exposed arms. He zipped it up with a smile, shoving his hands in the pockets, twisting around. A light laugh bubbled up from him as he spun around to thank Hiro.   
“Hey, looks like it fits,” Hiro said, cutting Sora off unintentionally, “That's great!”   
“Thank you, Hiro,” Sora replied, grinning as he looked around the shop, giving it another glance. He turned back to Hiro, smiling as the other nodded in a silent acceptance of the gratitude. Sora felt a warmth in his chest, his heart slowly winding around the connection forming between them, feeling that same pull he always did when forming a strong link. Hiro slowly blinked, eyes flicking up and down, looking Sora over before he rose a brow, skeptical of the new expression.  
“So?”  
“Huh?”  
:Did you find anything, I said.”  
“Oh! No, not yet. I mean, _maybe_ , but I want to look around some more.” Sora chuckled sheepishly, scrubbing the back of his head.

Hiro rolled his eyes, a habit around Sora, it seemed. Sora wasn't often aloof, but he _was_ one to get lost in the moment. Hiro reached out and gently tugged the slightly larger sleeve, motioning toward the door with his head. He was silent in his direction, but Sora followed along quite easily, taking two larger strides to match the pace of the shorter, walking alongside him instead of behind.  
“So, what was it you were saying about the best part,” he asked, hands clasped behind his back, teetering forward on one foot, the other swinging forward to allow balance.  
“Oh, yeah. Well, there's this really cool maze on this level. It's got all these colors and mirrors and if you complete it in record time, you get some free tokens for the arcade. I was thinking we could do that for a little while and then maybe grab something to snack on.”  
“That sounds great! Let's do it,” Sora said, hands balled into fists as he grinned with enthusiasm. Mazes were frustrating, but this one sounded fun- _like Wonderland_ , he thought.   
“Bet I can finish faster than you,” Hiro challenged, nudging his arm with his elbow. Sora chuffed and puffed his chest out, hands on his hips.   
“Oh yeah? I bet you've never seen as many mazes as I have!”  
“How about... loser buys the winner an ice cream?”  
“Sounds like _I'm_ getting free ice cream,” Sora chimed, fists on his hips, chin upturned. Hiro swung his arm and gently smacked Sora on the back, walking ahead of him to approach the man at the door.   
“Don't be so sure,” Hiro warned, turning to the man as he listed their names. Sora leaned over his shoulder, grinning as Hiro pulled away. This was more like it- this friendly banter that was tying them closer together. Sora could only hope it got stronger.

* * * * * *

The maze had been an experience. Hiro had a lot of fun navigating the mirrored tunnels, the colors splashing against each piece of glass causing a kaleidoscope of decoration. Sora had been right behind him, then in front, then beside him. Their race had turned more into a game of wits, each one trying to see who could trick the other into going the wrong way before racing for the finish. In that small maze, Hiro felt as though he and Sora had been friends for a long time. The fleeting moment seemed more solid, a sense of fun, adventure and mischief quickly swallowing up the apprehension of being turned away. Hiro had just begun to think that maybe next time, just _maybe_ , he could invite Kairi and Riku along. Hiro laughed a little at the thought, looking behind him as Sora made his way around the corner. For the first time, Hiro was having fun with someone more his age- a friend he had made on his own, without any outside influences and without a suit of armor. He smiled and paused, waiting for Sora to catch up, before he shoved him to the side and started for the exit, laughing. Though Sora had slammed into more than one mirror, and Hiro tripped into several, the two exited the maze at the same time.

“All right, all right,” Hiro said, huffing the cold air in his lungs as his hands rested on his knees, “Okay, you win. I'll buy you the ice cream.” Sora softly laughed, catching his breath before he stood triumphant, a hand on his chest.  
“As the winner, I'll show my grace and mercy by buying the ice cream myself,” he said, looking back to Hiro with a louder laugh, “Besides, you already got me the sweatshirt. Let me pay you back.”

“Wait, what- no, you don't have to-.”  
“Aw, come on, Hiro! I had a lot of fun today and I owe you. It's just ice cream.”

“... Okay.”

Hiro smiled and motioned for Sora to follow and Sora couldn't help the fluttering feeling in his chest. Did Hiro always have that gap between his teeth? It was a unique part of his appearance, but Sora had only ever noticed it when he smiled wide like that- the way he had for a few seconds. Sora felt his cheeks heat and he quickly cleared his throat, looking away until he could feel his embarrassment ( was that what it was? ), cool down.

The pier was bathed in a sunset glow, the lights beginning to illuminate along the long dock. Sora took notice of the way the carousel spun with a flurry of bright colors, a glow cascading from its movement. Below the second level there was a small stage and tiny benches, most likely for street performers. Sora had seen plenty of those in his travels. The pier had so much life to it and, as his eyes settled on the small back of his companion, Sora could feel the same warm light radiating off of him. With a grin, he stepped forward and crossed his arms behind his head, looking at all the illuminated shops with wonder.  
“Hey, Hiro,” he called, waiting for the other to turn around, a quirk of a smile greeting him, “This place is really cool. Thanks for bringing me out here.”  
“Hey, no problem,” Hiro said, waving his hand in the air, “Besides, no tourist can leave without seeing it.”  
“Yeah,” Sora mused, looking up at the night sky, neon glow painting over the darkness. He wondered what _Big Hero 6_ was up to. What did they do during their time away from saving the city? The thought bubbled up and, before he could stop it, he asked, “You think Saiichi would wanna come down here?”

His gaze turned upward, he didn't see Hiro stop, causing him to collide into the smaller. He blinked, arms slowly uncrossing as his eyes met with a rather odd expression. Hiro's brows knit together, eyes flicking along every feature of Sora's face. This whole time, Sora hadn't mentioned Saiichi once and Hiro, the fool he was, had believed that maybe he could somehow sway Sora away from that super hero persona, and like the person underneath the helmet just as much. The way he had asked, however, sounded more like a scientist finding their test to be successful. Was Sora only hanging out with him to find out what Saiichi would like to do? No, Sora wasn't like that. Then again, how could he be so sure? After all, Sora had only recently begun to get to know the both of them, unaware that they were one in the same. If he preferred one over the other, Hiro knew he would lose to his own heroic persona. Compared to Saiichi, Hiro was hardly anyone impressive. The apprehension and fear that had been pressed down before rose up with a vengeance, bubbling like the top of a boiling pot, threatening to spill over and burn everything around it.   
“Why would you ask me that?”  
“W-well, I mean, I just thought you'd know what he'd like to do. _You_ had fun here, right?”  
“Why would what _I_ like to do have anything to do with _him_ ,” Hiro asked, being more specific, “I don't know what he likes to do. We just work together.”

The sudden shift in mood had caused Sora to lower his arms, brows upturning as worry spread across his face. Concern. Confusion. Why was Hiro getting so worked up? “I-I just thought that maybe you'd know what he'd like,” he repeated, his voice softer, “I don't really know what he likes to do, aside from save the city, and I was thinking since we had so much fun, maybe I could ask him to-.”  
“Oh,” Hiro said sullenly, staring at Sora with his dropped shoulders, brows slowly leveling to a flat line, “Oh, I get it.”   
“No, Hiro, wait a second- I'm confused! What are you talking about?”  
“You wanna know what Saiichi likes to do, so you wanted to hang out with me to get an idea, right?”  
“I just thought maybe you'd know because you work so closely with him,” Sora said, wincing as Hiro's expression only worsened, “I didn't mean it to come out that way!”

Sora let out a slight whine, his brain struggling to keep up with what he wanted to say. The look on Hiro's face was hurtful, his heart aching at the thought of possibly hurting his friend's feelings. Hiro seemed to become guarded again, just like he had been back at the café, and Sora felt his concern increasing.  
“Hiro, wait-.”  
“Did you only wanna hang out with me because I know Saiichi on a personal level,” Hiro asked. His tone wasn't accusatory- it was curious. A genuine question to which Sora wasn't sure how to answer. He had already stumbled over his own words enough, causing more harm than good.

“No, that's not it, Hiro,” Sora tried, but he couldn't form the next sentence. His brain was stuttering, stumbling on words, only a strained sound leaving him. “I'm sorry,” he offered, but it seemed to be the wrong thing to say.  
“Is that why you won't tell me where you're really from? Or why you disappear from the face of the planet whenever you go back home? Is that why you keep visiting the café and- and following me to class? Are you hoping _maybe_ I'll tell you something about him that you don't know?”  
“No. Hiro, you're getting this all wrong,” he said softly, trying to ease the rising temper, “Let me just start over.”

Sora looked upset and Hiro felt guilt instantly rising. Why did it bother him so much what Sora thought? Was it because he was afraid of losing him as a friend or was it something deeper than that- something he hadn't thought of? Hiro suddenly realized that him being irrational was only going to push Sora away more. He pulled himself away from the situation and he knew he needed to step back.  
“Forget it,” Hiro said suddenly, crossing his arms over his chest defensively, “I get it. Saiichi's... cool. He's a super hero and he has a lot on his agenda that normal people don't have. You guys have a lot in common, you know?”  
“Hiro...”  
“Look, I'm- sorry. I'm just gonna go call my Aunt and let her know we're gonna be out here a little longer, okay? I'll... I'll be back.”   
“Hiro, wait.”  
“Just- just go buy a hot chocolate or something. I'm fine. Really, Sora, I'm fine. It was stupid,” Hiro said, instantly dragging himself back into the cavernous trench he had always buried himself in, “I'm okay. Really.”

But as he walked away, Sora felt his shoulders drop and a defeated sigh left him. Hiro wasn't okay, he could see it from a mile away. Had he really been comparing Saiichi to Hiro this whole time? He tried to think back on any moment he thought of the hero, but he hadn't really done so until the fun was done and had. Sora realized, with a sudden weight in his chest, that there must have been something deeper than what the surface showed. Hiro's fear and apprehension had to stem from somewhere. “I'll make it right,” Sora muttered, looking around the pier. He spotted the ice cream window not far off and, luckily, there was no one in line. With a smile, Sora's optimism kicked back in as he walked over, fishing in his pouch.

No one could say no to ice cream, right?

 


	7. Little Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know, even though Riku and I seem really close, there was a time when he kept a lot of things from me,” Sora began, taking another bite from his ice cream, giving Hiro a sideways glance. He could tell the genius was listening by the way his brow lifted slightly, silently indicating for Sora to continue. “Looking back on it now, it was a huge misunderstanding. But, he did shut me out. We stopped talking and then he thought I replaced him with new friends. It spiraled out of control until, I think, he just decided to keep everything inside. We could have worked things out if he talked to me, but he chose to keep everything in, and it really wore down on his heart.”  
> “Maybe he thought you wouldn't understand,” Hiro mumbled, taking another bite of ice cream, “Maybe he thought he'd be bothering you.”  
> “Well, maybe he was right.” Sora frowned, lifting his hand to idly scratch over his nose. “I probably wouldn't have understood, but to just know would have been better than not knowing at all! We've seen a lot of things happen and we've really been there for each other. I guess you could say that he's opened up more since then, though I still think he keeps some things inside.”  
> “Everyone has secrets, Sora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : OH GEEZ. I am so sorry it took so long to upload the next chapter! We're finally getting to the juicy part of the story! This chapter has a few emotional rides, but overall, it is a good solidifying chapter. I apologize for the delay and I thank you all for still reading ! ♥ Much love to all.

Hiro stared at the dark waters of the bay, arms draped over his knees as fingers idly twisted a thread from his sweatshirt. With his hunched form, he was almost _shorter_ , head hanging as he let out a long, drained sigh. He often tried to remind himself that not _everyone_ was like the kids he knew in school – not everyone was out to use him. Still, the distant traumas of the past always seemed to resurface the instant a reminder fluttered his way. His jaw was set tightly as he chewed his inner cheek, brows pinching together as he gazed at the ocean just beyond the wooden posts of the pier. The water of the San Fransokyo Bay was often unruly, rough, and choppy with the winds that whipped it around – not to mention freezing cold. He watched the waves crash together as the large ferry transported commuters across the darkening scene.

As much as the current and wind worked together, the ferry cut through without a care, splitting the waves and churning them deep into themselves. Rising from the bench, Hiro walked forward, fingers flicking the thread away as his arms moved to drape over the wooden rail. He looked out at the bay, closer than he was before, the spray of the ocean sprinkling along his exposed skin. It was cold, but not enough to cause discomfort. Feet wedged between the wooden posts as he arched up onto his toes, looking over the edge as the water lapped roughly against the legs of the pier. Hiro crossed his arms over the railing, relaxing as he listened to the sounds of muffled voices, rough wind howling, the water sloshing and the distant ringing that never seemed to leave him. He watched the waves grow brighter as they breached the surface, then sink back into the dark pits below. Each time, Hiro watched sea foam rise and fall, swallowed whole by the darkness. How strong the ocean was, despite everyone walking all over it. Stubborn, resilient and everlasting – the ocean stretched on for miles.

The bay wasn't warm and clear like the waters down south – it was cold, rough and _different_ . Hiro knew what that felt like. To be so different that people disliked him for the mere fact alone – that he was different and wasn't quite what people expected. Compared to others who were considered normal, mocked for being far too smart, and excluded based on misinterpretation. Hiro could feel the coldness of the ocean, not upon his skin, but in his chest. Like a sinking feeling that always returned to swallow him whole when he barely broke the surface. What if Sora had been using him? What if he _hadn't_ been? Like the ocean, his thoughts clashed and threatened to drown him before he could get a word in edgewise. It was such a lonely feeling.

_This feeling... I know it._

A voice, so distant and faint, seemed to press through the ringing and muffled sounds of the pier. Hiro's head lifted, brows knitting as he felt things slowly ebb away. Eyes flicked down to the ocean, the water still sloshing, but the sound no longer echoing like a monstrous growl beneath the pier. He turned to look over the other tourists, their mouths moving, yet no voice speaking. And yet, there was **one** voice that rang clear.

_Pain. It hurts so much._

“What?” Hiro whipped his head around, trying to find the source, “What's happening?” He twisted himself around, a hand on the wooden rail, keeping him balanced. “Is this some kinda trick?”

_Make it stop._

“Make _what_ stop,” he huffed, exasperated words sputtering as he felt a rush of emotion. Anxiety climbed into his throat, closing around it in a tight squeeze. His heart was slamming in his chest, the rush of blood roaring like rapids in his ears. Someone was in pain? Was it one of Liv's monsters? What if Burger Boy and Trina had started to harm people? Yet, he saw no rushes of panic or distressed faces.

_It hurts._

The voice was growing faint and Hiro felt a jolt of panicked concern. “W-Wait- hey! Where are you,” Hiro shouted, eyes frantically searching for anyone who might be showing signs of pain or discomfort. He could see people chatting, walking by, not giving him a second glance. It was as if he were frozen in time and they were not, but how was that possible? The hairs on the back of his neck began to rise as a coldness spread in his chest, causing a shuddering gasp to leave him, hand reaching up. Fingers curled in the air, just above his heart, words hitching in his throat. Eyes widened as he felt the sensation spread throughout him, the loneliness and pain increasing, causing a sting in his eyes. A sound choked from his tight throat, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, blunt nails scrubbing roughly against his skin.

_I see... it has to be **you** . _

Hiro doubled over the edge of the rail, fingernails digging into the splintering wood. He let out a ragged breath, cold sweat beading along his brow. He felt strain, as if there were chains holding him back, and a sense of entrapment. It felt like something cold was wrapping around his heart, but as soon as contact became solid, it _burned_. The beat of his heart was loud – a cacophony of drums pounding. He stared down at the wildly moving ocean, pitch black waters swallowing the reflection of lights and stars above. Everything was becoming a blur and he wanted the ground to remain beneath his feet, knowing if he so much as tried to move, he'd pitch forward into the abyss. He squeezed his eyes shut. The pounding grew louder and louder, growing closer and closer, like a stampede advancing behind him-  
“Hiro!”  
Brown eyes opened wide as sound returned instantly, the intense clash of heat now fading in the powerful winds of the bay, sound rushing with increasing volume. Hiro blinked a few times, staring down at the water, watching as the waves lapped together once more, the sound of the Pier returning, the stars glittering along the moving surface. A hand on his shoulder jostled his train of thought and he turned his head, eyes meeting a set of concerned blue. Carefully, he stepped down from the railing, wobbling as he landed. Sora let out a slight sound, feet shuffling forward as he moved to attempt to right him.  
“Hey, are you okay?”  
“... Yeah,” Hiro muttered and swallowed thickly, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck, pressing down hairs standing on end. Whatever had just happened seemed to have faded and, though Hiro was still on edge, he felt his muscles relaxing. The experience had left him with nothing but curiosity and questions, of which he was sure he had no real answers to. “I'm fine.”  
Sora's smile was caring, concern still evident on his face, but fading into a genuine friendliness. Hiro's lips twisted upward just slightly, not quite matching the brightness, but allowing room for comfort. Although he found an odd sense of comfort in Sora's presence, he hadn't forgotten the sting of betrayal that had arose the instant Saiichi was brought up. Maybe Sora hadn't meant it the way Hiro had taken it, but it had still _hurt_ regardless. And yet, with such a concerned expression on his face, the brunette was almost impossible to be upset with. Sora held out an ice cream cone, chocolate clashing with vanilla in a swirl, while the other remained tilted, chocolate perfectly encased in a hard shell.  
“Here,” he said, a laugh bubbling up, “I got us ice cream!” Hiro arched a brow, staring at the offered ice cream, taking note of the set clutched in his hand.  
“Sora, it's freezing- I literally had to buy you a jacket.”  
“Yeah, well, this is me paying you back,” Sora mused, motioning toward Hiro with the ice cream, “Come on, Hiro. It's just an ice cream.”  
“... Thanks.”

He took the treat from Sora's offered hand and carefully bit the top, avoiding the crushing sensitivity of his teeth. Seemingly satisfied, Sora chuffed before biting into his own with a hard crack of the chocolate shell. For a moment, they seemed to fall into silence, Hiro leaning against the wooden rail once again, Sora leaning not too far to the right. Although Sora had said the ice cream was pay back for the sweatshirt, he felt like the other was trying to make up for what he had said. He couldn't help the feeling of frustration that rose up, like bile in the throat, threatening to vomit words of accusation and bitterness. He had to remind himself that Sora was not the type of person to do something like that and, furthermore, seemed incapable of being mean for the thrill of it. His gaze traveled from his ice cream to the now glowing red bridge to the left, watching car lights streak across the road.

“I'm sorry for what I said.”  
He could see Sora fidgeting out of the corner of his eye, his hand twisting the ice cream as he bit into another piece, brows pinching as he tried to think through the brain freeze. Hiro wanted to say something sarcastic – to bite back with something bitter than might push Sora to confess that what he had said was true. But, Hiro wasn't capable of bullying someone else – not like that. A friendly taunt and a playful jest were always welcome, but to be mean to someone for the sole satisfaction of seeing them hurt? No. That wasn't Hiro at all. So, like the hero he was, he carefully took the blame and added it to the weight on his already heavy shoulders.  
“No, it's my fault,” Hiro said, eyes downcast as he watched rivulets of ice cream travel down the mountain of a swirl. He quickly took another bite and lifted his sleeve to drag it over his mouth, “I shouldn't have said what I did. I overreacted.”  
“I just said it wrong, that was all,” Sora protested, “I didn't mean to make it seem like I was trying to use you to get to Saiichi. I mean, I thought maybe you guys were good friends, so we could all hang out. I mean, I had fun with you, I just-”  
“Sora, I _know_.” His lips twisted into a smile as he looked at the other, brows upturned in an almost sympathetic way. His voice softened and he shook his head. “I told you, I overreacted.” He took another bite of his ice cream and shifted, gaze returning to the bay waters, a troubled frown interrupting the softness. “Guess I'm just used to losing out to other people, that's all.”

Those words brought another lull of silence. Sora was neglecting his ice cream, instead staring at Hiro in attempts to try and read further into what he had said. He knew that Hiro had a good heart and was an incredibly good friend. Not only was he a genius, but he often used that genius to help other people, even helping the heroic team of the city. So, why was it that Hiro seemed to be so determined to push everyone away? He had seen the same pattern before from Riku. There was this sense of belonging that he could feel rolling off of Hiro in waves, but he was never sure what it meant. Hiro had friends here in the city and, as far as he knew, they truly cared about one another. He took another bite of his ice cream, intent on satisfying both his sweet tooth and curiosity. It was at times like these that he wished Riku had been there, knowing that his best friend could read into the hearts of others a little easier than he could. Sora inhaled deeply through his nose slowly, coming to the solution as quickly as the idea had come to mind. If he wanted answers, it was best to just ask.

“What do you mean?” Sora's voice was gentle, tentative in its question, unsure if the topic was allowed or not. Hiro could feel Sora's gaze lingering on him, as if trying to read his reaction. Aside from a tight jaw, Hiro had no visible reactions to the question.  
“Nothing. It's- nevermind. Let's just forget it.”  
“Oh, come on, Hiro,” Sora said, an exasperated sound trailing his words, “We're friends, aren't we? Friends should be able to talk to each other. I know what I said wasn't fair, but you don't have to shut me out. If you don't wanna talk about it, just say so! But, please don't just shut me down.” Hiro didn't offer an answer and Sora huffed, though not in an angry way. With Hiro being silent, staring out at the bridge, Sora decided to try a different approach. He wasn't entirely wise in the ways of technology, but when it came to being a good friend, he was a natural expert.  
“You know, even though Riku and I seem really close, there was a time when he kept a lot of things from me,” Sora began, taking another bite from his ice cream, giving Hiro a sideways glance. He could tell the genius was listening by the way his brow lifted slightly, silently indicating for Sora to continue. “Looking back on it now, it was a huge misunderstanding. But, he _did_ shut me out. We stopped talking and then he thought I replaced him with new friends. It spiraled out of control until, I think, he just decided to keep everything inside. We could have worked things out if he talked to me, but he chose to keep everything in, and it really wore down on his heart.”

  
“Maybe he thought you wouldn't understand,” Hiro mumbled, taking another bite of ice cream, “Maybe he thought he'd be bothering you.”  
“Well, maybe he was right.” Sora frowned, lifting his hand to idly scratch over his nose. “I probably wouldn't have understood, but to just know would have been better than not knowing at all! We've seen a lot of things happen and we've really been there for each other. I guess you could say that he's opened up more since then, though I still think he keeps some things inside.”  
“Everyone has secrets, Sora.”  
“Yeah, but we don't have to keep them all inside. Riku's my best friend – we've been best friends since we were kids.” Sora chuckled a little and leaned over to nudge Hiro gently, elbow to shoulder. “Guess what I'm trying to say is that you don't have to keep everything inside. You don't have to shut people out – it'll just do more damage to your heart in the end. A little hurt is okay, but too much can really make you miserable.”  
Although he had tried his hardest to open up to Hiro and, in turn, encourage him to open up, it seemed the other had gone silent again. Hiro was staring down at his ice cream, brows knitted together over his dark eyes. Sora's smile faltered a little and he gave a soft sigh of defeat. He couldn't force Hiro to talk if he didn't want to.

  
“I've never had a best friend before,” Hiro muttered, his voice so soft, Sora had almost missed it over the wind.  
“Huh?” Sora leaned forward, tilting his head slightly, giving Hiro his undivided attention ; like an eager pup, he waited to hear more from his new friend, knowing there might be something deeper. “What do you mean? What about Baymax? Or the whole gang?”  
“Baymax _is_ my best friend, but he's not like Riku.” Hiro wrinkled his nose and crossed his forearms over the wooden rail, ice cream nearly finished. “He means a lot to me and I'd never give him up for anything, but we've only been friends for a little while.” He shrugged, looking down at his ice cream in slight disinterest. “To be honest, I've never had a friend before Baymax. The only reason Honey, Wasabi, Fred and Gogo are friends with me is because of Tadashi. _You're_ the first friend I've ever really made without any outside effort.”  
“But... why?”

It completely puzzled Sora; the idea that Hiro had no friends seemed to strike him as completely abnormal. Hiro was a genius, sure, but that was what made him so interesting. Sora tilted his head, scooting a step closer as he studied Hiro's distant expression. Despite his attempts to hide his real emotions, Hiro's hurt was clear on his face. The eyes heavy with years of isolation, whether it was voluntary or not, spoke volumes to Sora. He'd seen loneliness in the eyes of some of his otherworldly friends before and he knew what damage it did to a heart if left unaddressed.  
“No one ever wanted to be my friend,” Hiro finally said, supplying an answer. Sora hummed, but remained silent, allowing the other to continue. “Even when I was little, I had a really hard time making friends.”  
“Wha- why? You're so smart and you make all those cool robots!” Hiro chuffed and looked over to Sora.  
“It's _because_ I'm so smart that people didn't like me.”  
“What? I don't- that doesn't make any sense!”  
“Not everyone is like you, Sora. They didn't think it was cool.”

He let out a long sigh and bit into his ice cream, looking back at the water. “See, I skipped a lot of grades and I entered High School way younger than everyone else. But, because I kept getting the highest scores, people didn't like me. I made them look stupid, so... they didn't associate with me.” He wrinkled his nose, fingers curling into the fabric of his sweatshirt. “They used to call me names and chased me out of any sports I wanted to play. Even when I _was_ in school with kids my age, they'd isolate me. Eventually, I got used to the mean things they'd say, but getting hit always hurt.”  
“They'd _hit_ you?”  
“Well, yeah,” Hiro said, shrugging lazily, “Or push me down onto the ground. Spill out my backpack- you know. _Bullying_ .” He looked over to Sora, expression softening just slightly. “... I guess you wouldn't know. You're so nice, _no one_ could bully you.”  
“B-But, so are you,” Sora insisted, brows set into a troubled line, “Hiro, I don't get it. You didn't do anything...”  
“Not at first. But, eventually, I just... let it happen. I started to get the best grade on purpose. I was rude to my teachers, I skipped out on classes and still passed, I made tests difficult- I did everything I could to fit the stereotype they gave me.” Hiro scratched his hair and draped his arm back along the rail. “It was better to be hated for a reason than for none at all. I stayed in my room, I never went out, and even my brother and I drifted apart. It was... _hard_ , but I guess it doesn't matter anymore. I think I've gotten used to the feeling now.”

Sora's lips twisted into a frown and he looked down. He, personally, never had the experience of being bullied. Sure, there was a mean comment now and then, but never a target so big on his back. Even during his travels across the worlds, Sora had only ever experienced adversaries that were determined to stop him. Although they were violent encounters, Sora had never felt that aching loneliness that Hiro seemed to be describing. Despite everything he had been through, he had always had friends at his side, even when Riku had been absent and Kairi was lost. Try as he might, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to face pain like that all alone. Adding in the fact that Hiro had lost his brother recently was only adding to the pain he couldn't relate to. True, he had lost people before, but they had always returned to his side – he had always gotten back what he lost. And, for the first time, Sora realized that Hiro had been suffering for longer than he had known him – even before the fire. Suddenly, the fact that Hiro had become upset over Saiichi made more sense. Guilt rose up quickly and, with Sora, guilt never sat well.  
“I didn't mean to make you feel like that,” he said softly, looking at the genius with upturned brows, “Like you were losing out to Saiichi.”  
“You didn't,” Hiro muttered, finishing his ice cream, biting into the cone, “I just overreacted when you asked me. I thought that maybe you were more interested in being friends with Saiichi than me.”  
“That's not true! I want to be friends with both of you!”

The statement was so innocent and his smile was warm, but Hiro's reaction was less reassuring and more worrisome. Brown gaze leveled with blue and Sora felt his smile slowly fading. Hiro stared in a way that made Sora feel like he was being analyzed – like the way Ienzo looked over his data or the way Saiichi looked over his little blinking screen in his arm brace. Sora tipped his head slowly, watching Hiro watch him, the genius tilting his head the opposite way. Had he said the wrong thing again? Maybe Hiro didn't like the thought of them being friends with each other? No, that wasn't possible – Hiro was so welcoming, despite his seemingly hurt past, and didn't seem to be mean in the slightest.  
“Me too,” Hiro admitted, voice heavy, “But, I don't think you can.”  
“Huh?”  
“It's... kind of a long story.”

Sora tipped his head. Although he had heard that phrase in many worlds, the tone in which Hiro said it sounded vaguely familiar. Why wouldn't Saiichi and Hiro both be his friends? Were they competing? What if they weren't even real friends and Hiro was just pretending? He tried to recall the times they had all been talking in Hiro's garage, the team huddled around as Saiichi explained what had happened to the first Baymax Hiro had lent him. Saiichi explained that he had felt guilty for not rescuing Hiro's brother from the fire and, in turn, promised Hiro he would do everything he could to help. All good intentions that had tied Saiichi and Hiro together, leaving the impression that they were good friends. But, _why_ did it sound so familiar? He hummed, tapping his chin. Sora had asked how Saiichi knew about the chip, determined to pinpoint the reason that other Riku was using it. Saiichi had said _it's kind of a long story, but-_  
“Sora, I gotta tell you something.”

Sora's train of thought came to a halt as he turned his attention to his friend once more. Hiro suddenly looked so nervous. Saiichi was unraveling before himself. Hiro had to tell the truth to Sora – to tell him that he and Saiichi were one in the same. If he continued with the lie, it would soon spiral out of his control. Besides, what Sora had said before was true – true friends told each other the truth, even if it was confusing or painful. The fear of Sora's reaction was, naturally, overwhelming. Hiro had never seen Sora angry before, but there was always a first time for everything. He tried to steel his nerves, eyes downcast as he pulled away from the railing, stepping down. He fidgeted in place, idly picking at the paper wrapped around the cone. He could feel Sora's eyes on him, the attention focused on solely him, and it made the anxiety rise. And Sora, so sympathetic and kind, seemed to sense his apprehension.  
“Hiro,” Sora said, gently resting a hand on his shoulder, leaning down slightly to level their eyes, “I'm sure whatever it is, it can't be that bad.”  
“Uh... don't be too sure,” Hiro mumbled, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck. He took a deep breath, deciding that he needed to just _say_ it. There was no need to dance around it any longer. Whatever happened would happen. He looked away, wincing as the words began to spill from his mouth. “Sora, Saiichi is-”  
A musical tune interrupted him and Hiro felt his confidence waver. Sora blinked and felt around his pockets, patting down the many zipped pouches until he found the right one. He pulled up his Gummi Phone, looking over the screen. The phone had since stopped ringing, leaving them in silence again.  
“Sorry- it was Riku. I'll call him back later.” Hand lowered the phone as he turned his attention back to Hiro. “Okay, what was-” The phone started to ring again and Sora lifted it, seeing Riku's name and icon on the screen, brows pinching together. Riku wouldn't call twice in a row unless it was an emergency, right? He looked from the phone to Hiro, wincing as the other's gaze seemed to have lowered and that confident spirit faded from his face. Hiro was looking at his phone, thumb tapping quickly as he finished his ice cream. He needed to find a way out of the situation, his determination to tell the truth losing out to the lie he had told.  
“You should answer it,” Hiro mumbled, clearing his throat, “Seems important.”  
“I can call him back,” Sora protested, lowering the phone, “What were you saying?”  
“... I have to go,” Hiro said, finding the lie to be easy as he waved his phone, “City needs Saiichi.”  
“Oh, really?” Sora frowned. “I thought he was giving you a break...”  
“Yeah, well. You know... duty calls.” Hiro offered a weak smile. “Besides, your friends are calling.”  
“Hiro-”  
“I gotta go, Sora. I'm sorry – we can hang out later, okay?” He tossed the wrapper into the trash can as he stepped backwards. “Thanks for the ice cream. I'll see you around, yeah?”

Sora watched Hiro turn and retreat down the wooden dock of the pier, his eyes lowering to the Gummi Phone as it began to ring again. He huffed in frustration, wondering what it was Hiro was about to say. The city needed _Saiichi_ , so why was Hiro in such a hurry to...- _oh_. Sora quickly looked up from the phone to the direction Hiro had walked. “Hiro! Hiro, wait,” he called, running forward, only to scuffle to a stop as tourists blocked his way, crowds almost impossible to navigate. He couldn't see Hiro anywhere and, with an irritated whine, he tapped his finger against the screen of his phone. He waited for the screen to clear and show Riku's face. His friend, however, looked extremely annoyed and worried – a custom expression for Riku.

“ _Sora! We've been trying to call you!”_  
“Yeah, I know. Sorry. I've been at the pier and Hiro was showing me around. Anyway, what's up?”  
_“We went to check out that Sycorax place – the lab we think the monsters are coming from. Kairi and I only made it to the lobby, but there's a Darkness inside. We think it might be beneath the building. I felt it spike almost immediately after we got inside. I think it might be the source of the problems around San Fransokyo.”_  
“A darkness? But, I thought we – is it a straggler?”  
_“I don't think so. This isn't like anything a Heartless would create. It feels more like emotion than anything else. And when we left, Kairi and I ran into a few Unversed.”_  
“Unversed? What would the **Unversed** be doing here? We haven't seen those since...” Since _Vanitas_. “Riku, where are you guys now?”  
_“That's the other part. After we left Sycorax, Kairi said she could sense another Light.”_  
“You mean like one of the Princesses,” Sora asked, making his way down the pier, exiting the tourist attraction. He looked up and down the street, frowning as he saw no signs of Hiro, “Well, whereis it?”  
_“You said you were with Hiro. Where is he now?”_  
“He just left. He seemed upset-.”  
 _“He wasn't upset. The Darkness is reaching out to him. Sora, we have to find him before it pulls him in!”_  
“Okay, I'll get right on it. But, Riku, why would the Darkness be looking for Hiro? He hasn't done anything.”

_  
“Hiro is the light of this world, Sora. We have to find him!”_

 


	8. Scrambled Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The room was dark, only the dim glow of a pulsing red light illuminating bits and pieces. He could only just make out the details – if he squinted. There was a long hallway, lights along the ceiling cracked and busted, oozing with something dragging down in slimy tendrils. Breath hitched in his throat as he stared down the hallway, hands shaking at his sides. It looked vaguely familiar, but the walls weren't paved with cells. Why did he know that? Head lowered as he tried to remember. Sycorax. Karmi. Her internship was there, wasn't it? When Orso had been captured, Karmi had been down in the sub-level. But, the walls didn't look the same at all. These walls were webbed with the same sludge, and he curiously lifted a hand to touch them, fingertips swiping the sticky substance.  
> “Don't touch that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am so very sorry for the delayed update! I needed to work out how to bring in the next big thing. I hope you've all been enjoying this so far and that you continue to read and leave feedback / comments if you'd like! Thank you so much for sticking with me for so long! I certainly hope you enjoy the creepy factor that has begun to form!

_“It is recommended to eat: slowly.”_

Hiro dipped his french fry into a pile of ranch, scooping it up as he chewed down on it. He fumbled to grab his cup, tongue flicking out to guide the straw to his waiting teeth, clenching down to sip. He swallowed down the mixture quickly and reached out for a burger, unwrapping it quickly with shaking hands.  
“I-I don't know how to describe it,” he stammered, “I just felt like everything stopped and I could only hear one voice – like everything else was put on mute and slowed down. I thought maybe I was just hungry or something, but I can still _feel_ it.” He bit down on another fry and looked up at Baymax, a brow rising. “And then I almost spilled our secret to Sora!” He dropped his head on his desk, only to feel the soft vinyl of Baymax's hand. His fingers curled against his head, tangling in his mess of hair as he tugged side to side, groaning against the soft surface. “I don't know what's wrong with me!”  
_“Perhaps it is due to: lack of sleep. Hallucinations are often caused by-.”  
_“This wasn't a hallucination, Baymax. It was real – I know it was.”

Beady eyes stared down at Hiro, shuttering slowly as the soft whirrs of a scan broke the silence. Hiro could guess what the readings would be, as he often did when Baymax silently scanned him during times of emotional disarray, but he chose not to. Regardless of whether he guessed correctly or not, Baymax would always supply the answer quicker than he could speak.  
_“I believe you, Hiro.”_  
“Thanks, Baymax.” He turned his head, opening one eye to peer up at the robot, watching as the optics shuttered and scanned over him again. He let out a long sigh, though it was more exhausted than irritated. On top of the newest development, Hiro also had the challenging task of figuring out what had happened to High Voltage. Monsters in the city had been an issue, one that began clearly with Momakase. Still, Hiro hadn't expected it to be a running trend and with no real lead, he wasn't sure where to begin investigating. He suspected Liv Amara, but he had no solid evidence as of yet. He crossed his arms atop his desk, gently pushing Baymax's hand aside, choosing to nestle his head in the concave embrace of his sweatshirt sleeves. Someone had to be the cause of the monsters. “We need to know...”

He closed his eyes, letting himself relax, his mind's constant spiraling beginning to muddle down to mere quick notes. A to-do list was mentally written, starting with the source of the monsters- Sycorax, Liv Amara and her creepy assistant. He shifted in his seat, nuzzling against the fabric of his sweatshirt, huffing softly. Karmi was also incredibly close to Liv and seemed to be in the most severe case of denial that Hiro had ever seen. Although they weren't the best of friends, or friends at all, Hiro still worried about the well-being of any person close to the enemy. And Liv? Liv and her monster lab were considered the highest enemy. He had thought that after Obake, everything would go back to normal. How was he to know that he'd be made a fool of and proven wrong?

“ _You are experiencing: stress.”  
_“I'm all right, Baymax.”  
_“Is there something I can do to: help?”  
_“I'm just thinking. Don't worry.”  
_“Would you like to: lay down?”_  
“Nah. I'm all right here.”

 _Do you think Saiichi would like it here?_  
The stress continued to pile and Hiro chose to shove his face into his sleeves, huffing into the fabric. He had let himself get upset over something he had seen coming from miles away. Not only that, but he had outright embarrassed himself by insisting that Sora meant something he didn't. How could he ever compete with Saiichi? True, they were the same person, but not everyone knew that and the people that didn't would _obviously_ choose the super hero over, well, a civilian. Was that not how all the stories went – all the comics Fred seemed to own were inked with tales of insecurity, secret identity and a horrific reveal that resulted in the hero being hurt, their family being threatened, or ( as was mostly the case ), a romantic tie in. Hiro wasn't sure of anything romantic or any harm to himself, but he knew that harm _would_ come to his small-knit family if he were to reveal himself.  
His head turned, one eye opening as blurry vision focused on the white robot beside him. Hiro had his friends, but they could never compare to _Baymax_ . They shared a bond he could never truly explain – his best friend and **family** . And, sometimes, during sleep deprived study nights, Hiro thought _Tadashi_ was watching him through those beady eyes.   
“Baymax?”  
_“Yes, Hiro?”_  
“...Do you think I'm cooler as a super hero? Cooler than just regular Hiro?” There was a moment of silence that drifted between them. Hiro could tell that Baymax was processing the question and, though he knew the robot would take it literally, he had _hoped_ for a reassuring answer. Perhaps his anxious state was obvious, as Baymax's large hand came to rest on his back, soothing the tension in an instant.   
_“You are: unbelievable.”_   
Hiro barked out a laugh, eye closing as he shook his resting head. Despite the fact that he used the term in many different ways, the term _unbelievable_ seemed to mean more when Baymax said it. Eyes flicked to the robot's emotionless ( though Hiro could swear he saw emotion there now and again), eyes meeting the shuttering optics staring back at him. Baymax silently nodded, as if reaffirming his statement, hand rubbing a comforting circle between his shoulder blades. He felt a small smile pull at his lips as he relaxed, face buried in the fabric bunched at his elbows.  
“Thank you, Baymax,” he mumbled, a huff rushing through his nose as he let himself completely relax, mind finally winding down. If he could just prove that he was just as impressive _without_ the suit, then he could **finally** find peace between Saiichi and himself. As the thought faded within the approaching fog of sleep, Hiro found himself wishing he had told Sora the truth. Perhaps the truth would have made things easier – maybe it would have fixed that odd fluttering he felt in his chest. Within minutes, he had fallen asleep, leaving Baymax to gently scoop him from the chair and adjust him in soft arms before settling him on the couch. There was no need to carry him upstairs when he could sleep comfortably in the garage.   
_“You are welcome.”_ Baymax pulled the dark blue throw over Hiro, draping it over his twisting body, patting his messy hair softly. _“Sleep well: Hiro.”_

* * * * * *

“Sora!”

Sora whipped around, nearly sliding off the curb. He had been pacing the street just outside of Joe's Diner, where he had been told to meet Kairi and Riku. Recent events continued to play through his mind, though only one issue seemed to stand prominent. Hiro was the Light of San Fransokyo? Although he wasn't entirely educated on their purpose or every detail pertaining to their existence, Sora still believed that the Light of one's world was an extremely high honor for the Heart to bestow. Hiro had been someone he'd known to have a good heart, strong and caring, but he had never expected it to reach a grander scale. Then again, the idea was hardly doubted and Sora found he wasn't _entirely_ surprised by the revelation – especially after piecing together that Saiichi was most likely not who he thought he had been.

“Sorry we're late! We had to wrap some things up,” Kairi said quickly, approaching Sora with a gentle smile, “Were you here long?”  
“No. I only got here a few minutes ago,” Sora replied, lying quickly for someone who told horrible lies, “Where's-”  
“Where's Hiro?” Riku's voice cut through Sora's concerned tone, slicing away the question in an instant. He was walking behind Sora, tucking the Gummi Phone into his pocket, a stern expression on his face. “Sora, I thought you said you were gonna bring him?”  
“I-I was, but he won't answer his phone and it's gonna be weird if I just go knocking on the café door this late,” Sora protested, lips pursing in a pout, “Besides, I think he's mad at me.”

“Anger isn't important right now,” Riku chastised softly, reaching up to settle a hand on Sora's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly, “Come on, let's go inside. We can talk about it and get something to eat.”

The diner wasn't very full and the trio chose a booth toward the far end, tucked in a corner where they could discuss privately. Kairi let out a long sigh of relief as she sat down, stretching her legs out and slouching for a moment, arms above her head. She dropped them to her sides and shuffled to sit upright as Sora sat beside her. Riku had offered to grab them water while the two of them glanced over the menu tablet in the center of the table.  
“This place has _so much_ technology. They fit it into every day lives like it's nothing,” Kairi remarked, a soft smile on her face as admiration lit her eyes. But, as usual, Sora was distracted. He was staring at his phone, fingers idly toying with the casing. With a gentle hum, Kairi rest her hand against his, catching his attention. Her head tilted inquisitively as she lifted a reddening brow.  
“Sora, are you okay?”  
“I'm just worried,” Sora mumbled, looking away from her and down to his phone at the sent messages, “I don't even know if Hiro is getting the messages, but he won't even respond. I thought there was a chance it might work, but I think maybe he wouldn't answer me – even if it did.”  
“Why do you think he's mad?” Sora's shoulders sank at the question. He wasn't sure if Hiro was angry, but he did feel as though what had happened on the pier had soured the genius inventor's mood. Hiro wasn't always so downtrodden and distant – a fact Sora knew to be solid, as he had spent the afternoon with him. Even so, he had seen the mood shift so suddenly at the mention of Saiichi, and with the story Hiro had told ( one of many, he assumed), he could understand why.  
“I think I accidentally upset him by saying something I didn't mean,” Sora said with a sigh, dropping the phone onto the table, “He got upset and we separated for a few minutes. And when I found him, he seemed really... I don't know. He just looked so out of it.” A glass was set in front of him and he jumped slightly, gaze panning upward to meet a soft cyan stare.  
“I think I might know the answer to that one,” Riku said, settling down across from the two, “Before we got here, I did some digging and I found out-”  
“Do you guys know what you wanna order?”

All three turned their heads towards the server, apologetic smiles on their faces. She clicked her pen a few times before she began to insist on a few more minutes, to which Kairi had claimed they were ready. They didn't want to have too many interruptions. After a few moments of debate and a hefty order ( Sora insisted on trying almost everything once), the server left them in peace to continue their conversation.  
“So, Riku, what did you find out?”  
“You said Hiro's brother died in a fire, right?”  
“He said it was an accident,” Sora said, frowning as he brought his fingers to his chin, index curling just under his lower lip, “That there was a fire and he was gone. I didn't want to ask him for details – I thought it'd be rude.”  
“And Saiichi?”  
“He told me that he tried to save Tadashi, but he didn't make it. So, he promised to help Hiro instead and... and I...” Sora sighed and lowered his head, shaking it slowly. “I don't wanna tell you guys because I'm afraid you don't know and I don't wanna ruin it. But, I think Saiichi might actually be, y'know...”  
“Hiro?”  
Sora glanced up at Riku, brows pinched as he smiled sheepishly. “I didn't think it was true at first, either, but after connecting the dots, it makes sense. _Big Hero 6_ didn't show up until **after** the fire, which means that the fire sparked the creation.”  
“And Hiro's heart must have been eager to find solace in the truth,” Kairi offered, understanding the gentler side of the approach, “So he naturally developed a way to fight.”  
“But why wouldn't he tell us – why wouldn't he tell _me_? I mean, we're **friends**. Shouldn't I know,” Sora said, huffing slightly as he crossed his arms, “I would've understood.”  
“Maybe, but he probably has to keep it a secret. As far as I can tell, _no one_ knows who they are under the armor. I think Hiro wants to keep it that way.”  
“Especially after the Obake incident.”  
“Obake incident?” Sora glanced at Kairi, who wore a rather worried expression. She nodded slowly and looked back to Riku, motioning for him to continue.  
“That's what I dug up,” Riku said, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest in a lax manner, “Obake was the last villain _Big Hero 6_ was up against.”

Sora, who seemed to be at a loss, was unsure of what they were talking about. They had visited throughout the events taking place in San Fransokyo before, but they had apparently missed the large event. After all, Sora couldn't remember seeing anything out of the ordinary, aside from Saiichi ( Hiro, now, he supposed ), having to deal with a rise in crime. Sora had offered to help, but with the lack of the Heartless involvement, there was only so much he could do. During that time, however, Sora and the others had been visiting the other worlds to ensure everything had settled, which kept them away from San Fransokyo for a decent amount of time.  
“Did this happen while we were gone?”  
“At some point, yeah,” Riku said, leaning forward to speak lower, but still remain audible, “I looked up some news articles and they were all reporting the same thing – the city had been threatened by something big, like a _star exploding_ , and _Big Hero 6_ responded to the event. At face value, it seemed like a really good rescue story for them and the end of this Obake guy's plan to recreate the Great Catastrophe.”  
“Oh! I heard about that,” Sora said, leaning forward with a slight smile, “I read about it in one of Hiro's school books. It was this huge event that broke the big bridge and destroyed a lot of the city, which was why they got together to build San Fransokyo. Someone painted it, didn't they? It's at the school.”

“And the artist who painted the piece was Lenore Shimamoto,” Kairi chimed in, “She _was_ an artist, but there was more to her than what people thought. We found out that she created the Great Catastrophe.”  
“Wait- what? The Great Catastrophe was an accident though, wasn't it?”  
“No,” Riku answered, leaning back with a frown, “Shimamoto was a scientist, too, and what she was doing was a lot more dangerous than people thought. There wasn't too much information on her work, really-”  
“But?”  
“ _But_ , when we went down to the school to gather some more information, well...”

Their conversation hit a lull as the server arrived, dropping off their food. The mixture of stylized cuisine along their travels had given Sora a rather large appetite, despite not having much time to sit and eat before. They each took a few pieces from each other's plates, the scent of rice and chicken mixing together well with beef teriyaki, _gyoza_ , skewered shrimp and classic hamburgers and fries. Sora grabbed a fry and waved the limp spud toward Riku.  
“Okay, so you went down to the school.”  
“Mm,” Riku hummed, swallowing a mouthful of rice, huffing at the burning of his tongue, “Well, we went down to ask about the whole event and ran into a professor-”  
“Granville,” Kairi provided, taking a bite of Riku's rice, “Professor Granville. I could sense a conflict within her and when I told her we were friends of Hiro's and we only wanted to protect him, she seemed to loosen up.”  
“Granville...? Oh! That really strict professor that Hiro has! I remember her- I met her earlier today.”  
“Right. Well, she said that her former student had created an _energy amplifier_ -”  
“A what?”  
“Energy amplifier-”  
“What's it do?”  
“Sora,” Riku huffed, an amused smile pulling at his lips, “If you keep asking, we won't get through this.”  
“Sorry.” Subtle humor aside, Kairi continued to explain the functions of what Granville's student had been creating. How it had great potential, except for the explosion that damaged the student and temporarily sent Granville into a shameful hiatus from teaching.

“So, the project failed,” Sora asked, lips pursing as a thoughtful expression crossed his face, “Then, wait, how does this all tie to Hiro?”  
“That's the thing, Sora,” Riku said, shifting to lean back, “Hiro made a functioning one. He succeeded where this student failed.”

Sora frowned, nudging ketchup around with a limp fry. How was it that Riku and Kairi seemed to have learned so much about Hiro? He had been right there – right next to him – and he had gotten no real answers. No stories like these. He wondered if it was because Hiro didn't trust him. An awful twist in his gut began to form as he realized that Hiro most likely wouldn't have told him, but maybe _Saiichi_ would have – if he had asked. His eyes lowered as he tried to process the information they were going over. It was all so different than the other worlds they had been to – these were schemes that were almost too similar to the Organization, but ran deeper and with much more catastrophic outcomes. He was used to the balance of _light_ being threatened and the **hearts** of those around him being possibly damaged or lost.  
“But,” Sora muttered, looking up, blue eyes meeting two concerned gazes, “What does any of _that_ have to do with Hiro? So he made a functioning energy thingy. What's the big deal?”  
“I'm not sure. I think it's connected to the event with the explosion.”  
“Riku,” Sora said, almost too loudly. He sank in his seat for a moment, avoiding a few stares, before his voice fell into a hushed whisper. “You can't just accuse Hiro of trying to destroy the city!”  
Riku sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. He wasn't one to push blame on people – not when he shouldered so much of his own. Hiro had seen the error in his ways, from what Granville had said, and was quite confident that he would never make the same mistake twice. But, there was something that was bothering him – chewing into his thought process like a hungry beast, tearing through his usual collective.  
“While Riku was finishing up with Granville, I managed to get into contact with someone who might be able to answer the rest,” Kairi said, smiling gently, easing the tension in the air almost immediately. “He used to work for the man they called Obake and he says he rescued Hiro from him before.”

“Wait – who,” Riku asked, sounding skeptical, “How did you find someone so fast?”  
“Actually, he kind of found me. I told him to meet us tomorrow night, if that's all right.” Kairi tucked a hair behind her ear, taking another bite of her _gyoza,_ dipping it into the soy. “I think he's telling the truth. He's a little... _different_ , but his heart is in the right place now. I can feel it.”  
“Right, so... tomorrow **night**.”  
“Until then, we should come up with a plan,” Riku said, “Sora, you probably shouldn't hang out with Hiro tomorrow. Not until you guys settle whatever argument you're having – negative feelings are only going to tempt whatever it was we felt. Kairi and I can take turns spending the day with him. Besides, I think we should get to know him a little better.” Sora's brows upturned and he made a slight face.  
“Okay, _okay_. I'll keep a distance for _now_. But, can't we finish eating?” Riku chuffed and Kairi laughed softly.  
“You're so _lazy_ , Sora,” Kairi teased, reaching over to gently pinch his cheek, “All you think about are sleep and food!”  
“O _oow_ , not true! I think about lots of things.”  
“I beg to differ,” Riku mused, taking a bite of his now cooled rice, “You _never_ think.”  
“All right, let's finish up dinner and _then_ head to the café,” Sora shouted, cheeks puffing up as he formed his trademark _pout_. It only lasted a few moments before they began to laugh, the dreary topic passing.

 

* * * * * *

 

The room was dark, only the dim glow of a pulsing red light illuminating bits and pieces. He could only _just_ make out the details – if he squinted. There was a long hallway, lights along the ceiling cracked and busted, _oozing_ with something dragging down in slimy tendrils. Breath hitched in his throat as he stared down the hallway, hands shaking at his sides. It looked vaguely familiar, but the walls weren't paved with cells. Why did he know that? Head lowered as he tried to remember. _Sycorax. Karmi_. Her internship was there, wasn't it? When Orso had been captured, Karmi had been down in the sub-level. But, the walls didn't look the same at all. These walls were webbed with the same sludge, and he curiously lifted a hand to touch them, fingertips swiping the sticky substance.  
_“Don't touch that.”_  
Hiro pulled his hand away, wiping his fingers on his shorts, stepping forward. He felt a hesitance and he shifted a step back. There was a feeling looming at the end of the hall – something that filled him with utter dread and sorrow. The more he stared at the distant cell, red number glowing with the same steady pulse, the more he felt the rise of his hairs. Skin beaded with sweat and a rising heat roared down the hallway with the ghastly sound of a distant explosion. Pin-pricks of fear stabbed at his skin, causing bumps, and his eyes stung with tears he wasn't sure he knew the reason for. He lifted his wrist, dragging it under his eye, moving back to the entrance.  
“This... is this a dream?”  
_“Something like that.”_  
Voice caught in his throat, Hiro unsure of what to say or **do**. He could feel a gentle pull from within, his feet scuffing forward as he reached up, hand hovering above his heart. What was it pulling him in? He looked back into the depths of the hallway, barely making out the silhouette of a person within the cell. He felt another pull and he stumbled forward, tears sliding down his cheeks, silent sobs caught within his heart's memory. He stopped just short of the glass, unable to see detail within. A palm pressed to the glass, hidden in shadow, the red glow making things more and more eerie. Like a _nightmare_. His hand rose, shaking as the pads of his fingers barely grazed the glass. The palm slid along the glass opposite, the sound reminding Hiro of the disturbing screech of silverware scraping a porcelain dish.  
_“Light...”_  
“Wh-what?”  
_“You can_ _ **complete**_ _me...”_

There was something foreboding in the way the words were whispered and Hiro suddenly felt the need to run. He tried to pull his hand away, but slime and sludge gripped to his fingers, cascading down the glass, oozing onto his feet. Ooze cracked like magma and flames flared out of them, fear rising like the building heat. A scream tore to be free from his throat, but no sound came as he was lunged suddenly from the hallway and into the pavement in front of the looming showcase building. He opened his mouth, screams for his brother echoing into the dark abyss, lit only by a pulsing red, as the alarm buzzed over and over and--

 

 _“Hiro. Hiro, wake up.”_  
Hiro jolted upright, wheezing as a hand clutched his chest, eyes wide as sweat beaded along his skin. His hair felt damp against his face and he could feel the trembling in his body. A gentle, cooling hand was placed on his forehead and he was guided to lay back, head falling back on the soft vinyl palm. Baymax stared at him, beady eyes shuttering as a soft whirr sounded. Hiro closed his eyes, breathing slowly as he tried to settle his nerves. _What was that...?_ And why did it feel so **real**? He felt the cooling pad against his face and chuffed weakly.  
“I-I'm fine, Baymax.”  
_“Was it a: nightmare?”_  
“... I think so.” Hiro shifted and lifted his hand, rubbing his palm across his face, pushing back his bangs. Brown gaze landed on the robot's and he offered a weak smile. “Did I miss anything?”

  
_“You have received: two phone calls. One from: Honey Lemon and another from: Fred.”_  
“What do they want?”  
_“They are asking you to: come over. They have found something:_ _ **cute**_ _.”  
_“Something cute?”  
_“They call it a: Mayoi."_

 


	9. Back Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You wanted to see me. And here I am.” The dark creature leaned forward, dripping with the same sludge he seemed to be sinking in, sharp teeth showing between muddy jaws. “I see what you're afraid of.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am still ALIVE! I am so very sorry for the delay in updates! My life situation seemed to change and I had to move quickly. I apologize for any disappointment! Expect faster updates from now on- I promise. This chapter is fantastic and it's building up to a very *chef kiss* tipping point.

“Oh, come on, Hiro! Even  _ you  _ have to admit that it's just too cute to pass up!”

Honey Lemon looked up, glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose just slightly. Her brows upturned as she pursed her lips, looking to the green creature within her palms. The Mayoi was a small, green creature, no larger than a spoiled pet rabbit, with a set of the biggest eyes Hiro had ever seen on an animal ( if that was what they were calling it). It looked more like a feather duster than anything else, but Hiro's bitterness was only allowed to stretch so far before Honey Lemon gave him that soft pout. He didn't mean to be the killjoy of the group, but he was baffled as to how they could trust a creature like _that_. It was _obviously_ a trick – most likely developed by Liv Amara, who Hiro was beginning to suspect _knew_ that someone was on to her.

“Yeah, _this_? This isn't cute. This is a **trap**.”   
“Oh, Hiro, you're so paranoid,” Honey chastised softly, wrinkling her nose as she nuzzled it against the green head, “Just because they're new and unique doesn't mean they're monsters!”  
“Not _yet_ ,” Hiro mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “Where did you find it, anyway?”

As Fred enthusiastically recalled the story, Hiro examined the Mayoi, squinting. It seemed to be plant-based and thrived on water and, what a surprise, sunlight. They seemed akin to squirrels with the appetites of a raccoon- it ate _anything_ Honey seemed to feed it. While that wasn't so unusual in _most_ pets, Hiro was still skeptical that it was something they should be celebrating. He hadn't realized he'd stopped listening to Fred twenty minutes into the story, eyes narrowed as the Mayoi looked to him with those big, innocent eyes ( _far from innocent_ , he reminded himself), staring. What if they were Liv's spies? Hiro suddenly felt a familiar feeling, hairs rising along the back of his neck, though it faded as he brought his hand to rub the base of his neck, fingers pressing hair back against the skin.   
“I can't tell you guys **not** to keep it, but I'd definitely keep it away from our _tech_ , if you know what I mean.”  
“What's with you, Hiro? You cranky or something?”  
“What's with _you_ , Gogo,” Hiro huffed, “You're the one I think would be on my side here!”  
“... What? It's _cute_.” Gogo shrugged her shoulder and reached over, finger scratching beneath a chubby, leafy chin.

“Hiro, did you get any sleep? You look tired.” Honey's hand shifted to his forehead, brushing his bangs aside to feel the skin. Hiro let out a heavy sigh, pulling himself away.  
“I'm fine,” he said, dismissing her concern, though not out of rudeness. He crossed his arms and looked to the Mayoi, arching a brow as it rolled into Gogo's palms, small limbs moving in a wild manner. Gogo motioned to Hiro, but he quickly denied touching the creature at all.  
“Well, _I_ have it on good authority that he was out with _Sora_ last night at the pier,” Fred said, leaning over his chair, “That sounds like a _story_. Wanna share it?”  
“W-what,” Hiro exclaimed, a confused expression forced quickly to cover the embarrassed tint of his face, “I just took him down to the pier to hang out- I mean, he asked me if I could give him a tour of the city!”   
“Didn't he see enough of it last time he was here,” Gogo asked, popping her gum slowly, as if painfully grinding salt into Hiro's open wounds, “Why didn't Kairi or Riku go?”  
“Yeah, aren't they newer to San Fransokyo,” Wasabi chimed in, a smug grin on his face.  
“I-I dunno- I didn't want them to go. That is- I mean- not to say that I didn't _want_ them to go, I just... you know what I mean!”

Hiro could feel his face heating up, an intense refusal of letting a redness show fighting a losing battle. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking to the side, brows tightly knit. It was true that Sora had asked him to show him around the city, but he had never stopped to think of _why_. He thought it was just a friendly gesture, but if he were to look any deeper- his mind stalled, gears within jamming. Why would he need to look deeper? Was it supposed to _be_ deeper than that? No, of course not- that would be ridiculous. True, Hiro hadn't been able to shake that fluttering feeling since the first time they met, but he had figured it was just excitement of making his _own_ friend. And yet, he found himself almost puzzled by his own thoughts and actions. He became aware of how he had been acting. Was that the reason he kept feeling an undying urge to tell Sora the truth- that he and Saiichi were one in the same? Was that why there was such a deep, cold fear of Sora turning _Hiro_ away in favor of Saiichi? Was he really so terrified of losing a **friend** and nothing more?

“Earth to Hiro! Are you still in there? We're just teasing.”

Brown eyes blinked, a glassy look fading as he registered the labs and the cheeping sound of the Mayoi. He huffed, lips pursing as he tried to form what he wanted to say. A genius through and through, the only thing he could do was snap a quiet, “Shut up,” before he made his way toward his lab, inherited from his brother. He opened the door, eyes on the floor as he walked inside, letting the doors slide shut behind him. The thought had surprised him and he was taken aback by his own fluster. It made no sense to assume that Sora might know more than he let on – about his identity, along with a few other concerns. How could Sora possibly know when Hiro, himself, wasn't even sure? He scratched his messy hair, tangling it together as he let out a frustrated sound, safely hidden in his lab and free to express. “Ugh- what do they know, huh? They have no idea what I meant.”

“Do you talk to yourself a lot?”

Hiro yelped and jumped backwards, tripping over his rolling chair and successfully landing himself in a pile of old wiring he had pulled from the school dumpster. With wires tangled around his lanky limbs, he wedged his fingers between a set, peering from the red and green wiring. The vague form of someone taller and an extended hand, a chuckle filtering between the distant ringing in his ears, and a set of _extremely_ intense eyes.  
“R-Riku?”   
“Heh, sorry.” Riku's hand grabbed his arm and, in one gentle pull, he eased Hiro back onto his feet. Hiro shook off the wiring, with Riku's help, and lifted a hand to scrub his hair back. Riku? Riku was standing in his labs and he had tripped over wires. Sputtering, Hiro motioned around, then looked back to the taller with a perplexed expression.   
“W-what are you doing in here? How long have you been waiting in here?” _What all did he see_? _Or hear?_  
“Oh, I just got here,” Riku said, laughing softly as he propped a hand on his hip, “I told Sora I wanted to visit and he showed me where your labs were. I didn't really know what classes you had, but I was told you would for sure show up here.”

Hiro shifted uneasily. Although Riku was Sora's friend, and someone Hiro had determined he could trust, he still had a hard time loosening up around him – especially **alone**. He really couldn't say he knew Sora that well, let alone Riku and Kairi. He shuffled awkwardly, feet sliding against the ground as he thud a closed fist against his leg. “O-Oh, well, _yeah._ But, uh, did you need something? I mean, people don't usually just wait for me in here unless I'm in some kinda trouble.” He laughed, a nervous flutter of sound bubbling up from his throat, a hand lifting to rub the base of his neck. “Just kinda confused on why you're here for me. I mean, no offense, but we're not exactly _friends_.”  
“That's true,” Riku said, a half-smile forming, a gentle expression settling, “I was hoping to change that, though. Sora talks about you a lot and since we met you at the café, I've been trying to find a good moment to talk to you.”  
“... Let me guess, you're here because you want a super cool visor like Sora,” Hiro teased, hands on his hips, “Believe me, I thought about it, but I really need to upgrade that thing before I start mass producing.” Riku chuckled in response, shaking his head. He was almost certain that Sora would encourage a set of matching visors for them, but he knew that Hiro had plenty on his mind already. Watching the teenager ramble, Riku noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the dragging of eyelids a little slower than an energetic person. As a college student, Hiro must have experienced many sleepless nights, but _this_ did not look like that kind of exhaustion. Teal gaze lingered too long and Hiro's words slowed, eyes panning upward.   
“Sorry, I guess I started rambling.”  
“That's all right,” Riku said, a subtle smile forming, “Don't worry about it. I think it's interesting. We don't really see technology like yours back home.”

Back home. Hiro tipped his head, nose wrinkling up just slightly as he remembered the confirmation Sora had given him. Perhaps he should keep it a secret, though it didn't quite take a _genius_ to recognize that Sora and his friends were definitely from somewhere **far** away. Still, he didn't want Riku to think that Sora had told him the secret on his own, so he held his tongue. Riku was looking around the lab, intense gaze roaming over every tool and piece scattered about his work area. Hiro suddenly felt nervous, shuffling forward to clean up his cluttered work area, as if Riku hadn't already seen half of the mess.   
“Sorry. It's a little messy since I started the semester.”  
“That's all right,” Riku replied with a quiet hum, “It adds character.” He chuckled and Hiro gave a nervous laugh.  
“Heh, yeah. Character.”

Riku didn't care much for the state of the lab. In fact, he was interested in seeing all the little details, though his gaze flicked back toward the genius teenager now and then. Hiro had always been interesting and, from what Sora had said, very creative. Knowing now that he was not only a prodigal genius masking as a hero, but the _Light_ of his world, Riku was curious as to how much Hiro actually knew about Light and Darkness. Kairi had a keen sense of it, but she had been raised differently and experienced much more than what Hiro had – when it came to Light and Darkness, of course. Riku didn't doubt that Hiro had encountered his own hardships – the Heart of San Fransokyo would not have chosen just anyone. And, if the darkness dwelling within the depths of the _Sycorax_ labs had anything to do with it, those hardships were far from over. He could only hope that Hiro's heart was strong enough to stand against the growing darkness.  
“Is this your brother,” Riku asked, motioning to the picture on the desk. Kept safe behind the glass frame were two boys, one clearly older, smashed together to fit in the frame. Hiro was caught in the bend of the taller man's arm, frozen in time with a look of frustration, though his smile was bright. It took only a glance for Riku to see that the boy in the photo was different than the one standing beside him.  
“Yeah,” Hiro said, having closed the space between them, “That's _Tadashi_.” He reached out, grabbing the frame, looking over the picture with a soft expression, reminiscence in his brown eyes. Riku watched him carefully, sensing the turmoil that rose within his heart – such a _strong_ heart. Riku was surprised that the intense feeling was as palpable as it was ( though, he _was_ known to be a little wiser about hearts around him). Hiro set the photo down and cleared his throat.   
“Sora said there was an accident,” Riku said slowly, gently trying to urge Hiro to release his hold on that horrid feeling, “I'm sorry to hear-”  
“It wasn't,” Hiro mumbled, looking away from Riku, jaw tight.  
“It wasn't?”  
“An accident. Someone _intentionally_ set that fire.”

Silence followed the statement, the gravity in his words crushing the moment. Riku felt the budding beginnings of worry forming. If Hiro continued to hold onto that anger and pain, the darkness would come straight for him. He didn't know Hiro very well, but he was sure he was a good person with a kind heart – no one who connected so well with Sora had any less. Riku lifted his hand slowly and settled it on Hiro's shoulder.  
“Hey. You okay?”  
“Yeah,” Hiro replied, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets, shrugging his shoulders. It was a silent plea for Riku to remove the touch – not because it was uncomfortable, but because it was oddly _familiar_. “Anyway, uhm... did you need something?”  
“Actually, yeah. I really wanted a real tour of the city. This place is so huge, anyone could get lost.”  
“Uhm, I mean – I guess I could do that, but didn't _Sora_ give you a tour when you and Kairi first got here? I thought that'd be the first thing on his list.”

Did Sora even _have_ lists? Hiro arched a brow, finding Riku's reasoning of being in his labs a bit suspicious. Guilt swiftly accompanied the suspicion, causing a painful twist in his gut. Riku was someone he did not know very well, but he was friends with Sora. At the very least, that should allow room for some trust. But, history had done enough damage to know that trust could be easily manipulated and even easier to break. Hiro didn't catch Riku sifting through drawers or peeking at blueprints, but he also wasn't sure how much he had seen before he walked in. One of Sora's own friends wouldn't try to steal anything from his labs, would he? One of the Keyblade wielders wouldn't try to expose them as heroes, would they? Suddenly, Hiro realized he was picking someone apart before he even got to know them – was this the damage Callaghan and Obake had inflicted? This destruction of trust was beginning to make him realize just how _lonely_ of a life he had been leading before and somehow continued to lead. Riku deserved a chance, as did Kairi. It took him a long moment to realize that Riku was continuing his explanation, and his focus returned just in time to catch the end.  
“- totally got us lost with the GPS.”

“Wait, _what_? The GPS should _talk_ to you. It literally tells you where to go.”  
“I know.” There was silence between them, a lingering statement that both wanted to say, but chose not to.  
“Definitely not a tech kinda guy, is he?”  
“Not at all, no,” Riku replied with a slight quirk of his lips, “Listen, Hiro, if you're really busy after class with homework or something, it's okay.”  
“N-no, it's not that,” Hiro said, clearing his throat, “I'll, uh... meet you in front of the library. It's in the center of the campus. From there, we can hit the city.”  
“Sounds like a plan,” Riku mused, moving toward the lab door. He hesitated, however, looking Hiro over, cerulean gaze lingering on a set of darkly rimmed brown. “Are you sure you're up for it? You look a little tired.”  
“I'm fine,” Hiro insisted, forcing a smile, though it made his eyes look darker, “Outside the library at two-thirty. I'll see you there.”

Although Riku felt the need to press, he decided to save it for their later meeting. He nodded with a gentle huff, excusing himself from the lab. Hiro watched the door click shut, his false smile dropping into a flat line, eyelids heavily drooping down. “Stupid nightmare ruined my sleep,” he grumbled, staring listlessly at the floor. What an odd one it was, too. He found himself curious and frightened, unsure which one would take precedence. Who was the person that seemed to communicate with him? What did they want? They felt so helpless and lost, but also incredibly aggressive. Perhaps it wasn't real, but Hiro felt if he could find answers, they would be somewhere in that nightmare. “Dreams don't usually repeat,” he muttered. After a moment, he let out a frustrated sound and scrubbed his hands down his face.  
“I'm exhausted,” he grumbled, dropping down into his chair, wheels squeaking as he rolled just a few inches. He couldn't seem to get that horrifying image from his mind. He glanced at the clock on his desk, then back to the tips of his sneakers. Maybe a nap – just for thirty minutes. He didn't have class for at least an hour and he was certain he could pencil in time for a snooze. Regardless of the internal debate, Hiro's exhaustion won out and his head dipped down, leaving him slumped in his chair.

* * * * * *

_“Back again?”_

Hiro jerked his head up with a gasp, a jolt sizzling through his heart as his nerves buzzed. His hands shook against the arm rests of his chair, his breaths shaky and labored. He blinked a few times to clear his vision, but all he could see was darkness. His chair seemed immobile and, as he tried to stand, he felt something thick and slimy wrapping around his ankles. He tried to pull himself free, but the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. He stopped as the thick sludge swallowed up to his shins, his hands shaking against the chair.   
_“You shouldn't do that.”  
_ “What are you- no. No, this isn't where I was before.”  
_“This is where **I** am. The cell. So lonely. So cold.”  
_ “... Why do you keep pulling me here?”  
_“You pulled yourself here.”_

_  
_ Head whipped around and his eyes met a blazing pair of yellow. He yelped and leaned away, but something caught his jaw and pulled him closer. Although the fear he felt was very real, he was almost certain this was another nightmare. And yet, as much as he wanted to squeeze his eyes shut or look away, nothing could pull his gaze from the bright yellow. He was growing dizzy, feeling light-headed and incredibly disoriented.  
_“You wanted to see me. And here I am.”_ The dark creature leaned forward, dripping with the same sludge he seemed to be sinking in, sharp teeth showing between muddy jaws.  _“I see what you're afraid of.”  
_ Hiro could taste the smoky texture of the air as thick clouds seemed to crawl down his throat. He coughed, orange and red flickering in his peripheral. Heat began to trickle over his skin, growing hotter and hotter, until his face twisted in agony. The distant buzz of the alarm was growing louder, but the roar of the flames seemed to drown it all out. He could hear the scuffling of shoes on pavement and he knew exactly where they were. The sludge seemed to sink away as he felt the hand from his jaw release him. His hands were clutching tightly to the arm rests of his chair as he squeezed his eyes shut. “N-No! No! Wake up- I want to wake up!”  
_' Are you okay? '  
_ “N-no-”  
_' I'm okay, but Professor Callaghan is still in there!'  
_ Brown eyes opened wide as he jerked his head up, no longer seeing yellow, but the taller figure of someone he knew so well – a silhouette shadowed by the rising flames and clouding smoke. And suddenly, a charred hand twisted in his own hold and grabbed his wrist, fingers burning into his jacket and skin. Hiro screamed out in terror, horrified of the image of the figure slowly turning, flakes of soot cascading as smoke hissed between cracks of red. He shrank under the angry amber eyes glaring down at him.  
“N-No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!”  
_“I see,”_ the voice he'd heard before, again and again, muttered from behind him,  _“That's enough for me.”_

 

“-on't chase them. Come back, Hiro.”  
Hiro woke with a loud gasp, spine cracking as he arched up. A hand quickly pressed him to keep lying on his back, something blunt pressed to his chest. With every breath, between each wheeze, he whispered apologies. Hands shook at his sides, feeling the cold ground. His entire body felt as if it were on fire, yet sinking into a cold sludge. He clenched his eyes closed, jaw tight as he tried to fight back the fear threatening to rise up and consume him. Fear, pain and a twisting agony he hadn't felt in a while rose up together, causing stabbing feelings within his stomach. He could hear the soft murmuring of someone, a warmth bleeding through his chest as a bright light illuminated the backs of his closed lids.   
“Just breathe. You're all right. I'm pulling you back.”   
Hiro could vaguely recognize the calm voice, but he was having a hard time visualizing the face it belonged to. The weight on his chest disappeared and a lighter weight replaced it. A shadow was soon cast over him and he felt a wave of calm settling upon him like a blanket. He wasn't  _alone –_ that thought repeated within his drowsy mind until he finally seemed to register that he was, in fact, not  _alone._ With a startled sound, he tried to sit up, a set of hands catching him before he could move too suddenly.   
“Hiro- hey. You're okay.”

  
The blurry surrounding of his lab slowly began to clear and a set of cerulean eyes entered his vision.   
“R-Riku?”  
“Easy.” Riku pulled Braveheart away from Hiro's side and dismissed it in a flash of light. After ensuring Hiro was all right physically, he took one of his hands and hoisted him to sit up better, the other resting on his back to keep him steady. Hiro took a look around and realized he was on the floor, the chair spilled to the side, wheels still rolling in mid-air. He remembered falling asleep, slouched in the chair, but it was only supposed to be for thirty minutes. He winced and grabbed his head, feeling the throbbing formation of a headache.   
“Are you all right?”  
Hiro glanced at Riku. His gaze seemed cold, but Hiro could see the concern within the small details. He nodded slowly and rubbed his face, letting his hand fall down to his lap. He let out a shuddering sigh, shoulders dipping as tension seemed to ebb away from him. He began to register just how odd the situation was. Why was Riku there? He turned to look at him again, noticing he was quickly texting on one of those ridiculously large phones the three carried.   
“... What are you doing here? I thought I said we'd meet outside the library?”

  
“You didn't show up,” Riku replied, barely glancing up from his screen.  
“I said at two-thirty. I only slept for-”  
“It's six.” Riku looked up from his phone, eyes scanning over Hiro once more. The concern was more obvious now, though Hiro wasn't sure whether it was placed in him or something else. After a beat of silence, Riku let out a soft sigh and lowered his phone. “You didn't show up at the library, so I came to find you.”   
“Wait- six at  _night_ ? Are you  _serious_ ? I was just – I was only supposed to – oh no. No no- I missed all of my classes!”   
“This is more important than class,” Riku said, his voice quiet. Hiro looked down, running his fingers through his hair, palms scrubbing up his face.  
“Man, I have  _midterms_ coming up. I can't keep skipping classes-”  
“Get a grip, Hiro.” A hand caught his shoulder and fingers curled in a firm, yet reassuring way. Riku leaned to the side, trying to get a better look at Hiro's face. Brown eyes averted, but mostly due to the familiar echo of the words he spoke –  _get a grip_ . It reminded him so much of the times Tadashi would grab him, shake his shoulder, and urge him to keep going. Riku leaned away, but he didn't relent.

He had suspected the genius hadn't been sleeping well from the moment he saw the dark circles around them. But this went beyond losing sleep due to stress or activity – this went beyond the most basic of nightmares. The idea of Hiro managing to somehow communicate with whatever it was reaching out to him was jarring – Riku thought they had more time.  
“Hiro, I know we don't each other well, and I know you don't fully trust me, but I need you to tell me the truth. Can you do that?”  
Large, brown eyes panned upwards, face contorted in dread. He knew the question was coming and he could see the look on Riku's face – he knew, too, that Hiro was expecting it. He shifted to lift a knee, his elbow propped upon it, palm scrubbing his face, messing up his already tangled bangs. “Yeah, I guess I have to, don't I?” A soft hum was his only response. Hiro closed his eyes, preparing for the question he knew Riku was going to ask – preparing to face the mystery that was quickly becoming a truth he wasn't blissfully ignoring. He was never  _normal._   
“How long have you been having these nightmares?”  
Nor would he  _ever_ be. The grip on his shoulder squeezed gently and Hiro let his walls slowly crumble. Defeated, he let his shoulders sag and his head hang, knees rising to somehow keep himself contained. Riku watched the teen with a subtle look of worry. The more Hiro continued to hide- the more he buried deep down - the more aggressive the darkness would become.  
"Where do I even start?"  


  
“Where everyone else does- the beginning." Hiro sighed and looked to Riku, eyes dark and heavy with a forming fear.  
"It started with a voice..."  



	10. Growing Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eyes focused on the bleeding heart twisting into shape. On their chests was an odd symbol – one Hiro had never seen before, but Riku seemed to recognize right away.  
> “What are the Unversed doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N :: I'm very happy to be back and writing as frequently as I am! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! I know there is a lack of detail, but there is a reason for that, as the next chapter will develop more. This chapter had me soft in the beginning - Riku and Hiro are turning out to be great sibling potential. Enjoy !!

When Sora had told him that he would understand Hiro when he got to know him, Riku was skeptical. He wasn't sure what he could have in common with someone as genius and famous, even if it was indirect, as Hiro. But, as Hiro explained what he had been experiencing, Riku felt the odd sensation of familiarity, though it wasn't a welcome familiar. The way Hiro's shoulders had dipped the day they met in the café – the way he pulled away and seemingly distanced himself from everyone, including Sora, had been strangely familiar as it was. Now, however, Riku was realizing that the reason Sora had insisted they meet was more than _he's a cool friend_ – Sora had seen pieces of Riku within Hiro. Although that was years ago, Riku had since conquered his fears and was slowly learning how to work through the negative sides of his heart. Though their histories were different, the struggle he could see in Hiro was hitting too close to home. There were so many questions he wanted to ask.   
_Are you jealous? Are you afraid? Do you feel like the world is moving on without you? Do you crave what lies beyond your horizon, too?  
_ But, he silently listened instead, walking alongside the teenage hero.

“Guess it sounds kinda stupid when I lay it all out, huh?”

Hiro had his hands shoved in his pockets, sneakers scuffing the pavement as they made way down the street. At first, he was hesitant to tell Riku everything, but the other had a way of wrestling the truth out of him without much force. With the compromise of a walk, the two had rounded the block for the third time, Hiro explaining everything he had felt, seen, heard and experienced since the set up of Sycorax ( all while conveniently leaving out the _heroics_ ). Although Riku had remained silent and otherwise distant, Hiro felt relief at the idea of someone else listening and not reacting in a shocked or joking manner. The truth was that it had scared Hiro – the idea of something reaching out to him and the lack of knowing what it was. As a genius, he prided himself on knowing all the answers. It was in situations like this very one – where the answer laid within someone else – that made him uneasy.

“No, it doesn't.” Riku's voice cut through Hiro's unease and he looked to the taller, brown gaze panning upward to meet the his serious expression. “Hiro, how much do you know about what Sora and the rest of us do?”  
“Well, when Sora was here the first time, Big Hero 6 was fighting the  _Heartless_ . And, he sort of explained the whole  _other_ Riku and darkness being inside the creatures and stuff. I helped with the visor so that he could fight better with Saiichi.” Hiro shrugged his shoulders, looking a little skeptical. “I guess that's kinda why I didn't really know how to talk to you in the café that day.” He wrinkled his nose. “The last time I saw someone with your face, it was apparently someone else and the eyes were completely different. And I guess I just thought...” He trailed off, frowning. He thought that Sora's friends could never be his friends – they were so tight knit and close, there was never a chance of him fitting in with them. His brows furrowed and he looked down, clearing his throat. “Anyway-”  
“Hiro.” Riku stopped walking and gently grabbed Hiro's shoulder to stop him just as they reached the corner. The light was red, thus stopping them from crossing for the moment. Although Hiro stared up expectantly at him, Riku was unsure of how to address what he knew was happening. It would start small and spread – that was how the darkness had began with him. Hiro had friends that were good to him, but Riku had learned enough of his past ( without Hiro's assistance ), to know that it was filled with potential breaking points. The genius was already showing signs of beginning to pull away, and soon it would lead to pushing. Riku didn't want to see someone else suffer the turmoil that he had – the pain that proved to be too much on a heart. As the Light of his world, Hiro was at risk of not only falling into the pits of darkness, but dragging his world into an endless nightmare along with him. Alas, there was only so much he could tell him before it became too informative and the World Order was disturbed. “Don't push your friends away.”

“Huh?”  
“Your friends – don't push the people close to you away. It's...” _What the darkness wants._ “It's just not good for you.” Riku watched the light change and stepped off the curb, Hiro joining him at his side. He had his hands in his pockets once more, teeth clearly chewing the inside of his cheek.   
“Hiro, what's calling to you – what's causing these nightmares – it's the darkness. And the darkness feeds off of someone and it'll have an opening if you keep yourself isolated.”  
“I don't do it on purpose,” Hiro said, huffing slightly as he shrugged his shoulders, “I mean, I was isolated first. It's not _my_ fault I just got used to it.”  
“I know it probably feels that way, but-” Riku was cut off as Hiro whirled on him on the opposite side of the street, brows furrowed as he pointed at the other.  
“I bet you don't,” he said, though it wasn't accusatory. It was almost a bitter joke and Hiro even barked out a laugh as he stepped a few paces back, watching Riku. He cracked a smile and spun around on his heels, hands pulling from his pockets, arms crossing behind his head.

They walked alongside one another in silence. Riku was mulling over the odd way Hiro seemed to handle what he could only assume was years of trauma. The darkness seemed to be calling to him for a reason, though what that reason was, he had yet to discover. Perhaps it was for the power – as the Light of his world, Hiro now contained a lot of sleeping power ( he wasn't sure if it was awake just yet).   
“You're lucky,” Hiro said suddenly. The statement broke his concentration and Riku looked down at the shorter, tipping his head. He could see Hiro's brown eyes gaze at him from the corner of his eyes before he looked ahead again. He chuffed.  
“Because I'm tall,” he joked dryly, lips quirking into a smile. Hiro snorted.   
“Because you get to see what's out there.” It was such a simple statement, yet Riku felt a shudder run through him. He heard a familiar voice – his own – telling Sora and Kairi about what lay beyond the horizon. And then, the intrusive though of the danger that followed, accompanied by the realization that Hiro had spoken of something he never mentioned.  
“Outside of the city,” Riku asked, clearing his throat as he tried to play off the subject, “There's not much difference-”  
“I know you're lying.”

The silence that followed seemed to prompt Hiro to smugly smirk, rolling his eyes. “I'm a genius, remember? Nobody wears the clothing style you do. _No one_ has weapons like yours. And, let's be honest, Sora is probably the **worst** person to keep secrets.” He looked over to Riku. “But, as it so happens, I'm _excellent_ at keeping secrets. Yours is safe with me.”  
“I-It... with you?”  
“Well, sure. I mean, I'm not gonna go running around telling everyone you're from some other dimension.” He lifted a finger, wagging it against the back of his head. “You're forgetting, we lost Baymax in another dimension, too. So, really, it's not that big of a surprise. I _knew_ there were other places out there, but I never had confirmation. Not until I met Sora.” Riku walked alongside Hiro, an exasperated sound leaving him.  
“I guess you're right about one thing,” he said, letting the other statements run off, “Sora is **horrible** at keeping secrets. He always has been.”  
“Yeah, he seems like a blabber mouth. Not like he means to, but he's a little air headed.”  
“A little,” Riku said with an amused huff, “And what about you?”  
“Me? I'm like a steel trap,” Hiro bragged, a proud expression on his face, “Secrets don't get out of me very often. I'm pretty good at hiding the truth when I want to.”  
“What happens when someone figures it out?”  
“Figures what out,” Hiro asked, glancing at Riku, a brow rising as he balanced on the edge of the curb, walking the line.  
“Your secret.”

Hiro nearly stumbled off of the curb, his foot slipping. He felt a hand catch his arm and Riku helped ease him back to the sidewalk. And yet, his hand remained on his upper arm, keeping Hiro rooted to his side ( though his grip was loose enough that Hiro could pull away if he wanted). He stared at Riku, brows slowly rising as he came to his own realization. “Y-you- how did you...?”  
“Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me,” Riku parroted, gently releasing his arm, “ _ Saiichi _ .”  
“You  _ know _ ?”   
“Yeah, but don't worry. It wasn't exactly easy – you made it hard. You've done a really great job keeping your identities a secret.”  
“... How did you figure it out?” Hiro's worry seemed to grow. “Does anybody else know?”  _ Does Sora know?  _ He watched as Riku's expression softened, though it was something very subtle and easy to miss if one wasn't watching that twitch in his jaw.   
“Hiro, relax,” he said with a slight chuckle, “No one else knows. Only me.” It wasn't entirely true, but Hiro didn't need to know that the others knew – he could keep it a secret for now until the issue arose. A sigh of relief left the genius, allowing muscles to loosen.

He hadn't realized just how  _ terrifying  _ it still was to know that others could know their identities. Krei, Granville, Globby and Felony Carl were some of the rare few they could trust. Hiro could trust them not to attack his family, whereas people like Obake could use his special people against him – against  _ all  _ of them. With the rise of these monsters in the city, Hiro was on edge – particularly with Sora and his friends. The last thing he wanted was to drag them into their already developed mess. Perhaps that was one of the biggest challenges of balancing a normal life with that of a hero – learning where one ended and the other began. What was a hero without the constant concern for the safety of those around him? And yet, the craving for normalcy ( no matter how abnormal it truly was ), was always at the forefront of his vast mind. Sometimes, Hiro wondered if he was missing out on a normal life. He had already lost his chance at a normal childhood growing up ( the bullying, the shunning, the isolation, the  _ shut in _ lifestyle), and he was worried that his teenage years were going to lead him somewhere he was unsure of. Sora had an abnormal life, but he seemed to be retaining that same childish wonder and excitement that Hiro had at times, but he seemed to  _ live  _ it all. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt true  _ peace _ . 

“You still with me?” Riku's hand gently rest on his shoulder, fingers barely curling. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.”  
“I'm not – I'm fine.” Hiro offered a lopsided smile, shrugging his shoulders. “You just caught me by surprise, that's all.” Though the mood had grown tense, Hiro's smile grew and he leaned to the side, brown eyes lifting to meet the intense stare Riku always seemed to wear.   
“Hey, does this mean you're gonna tell me about all the other dimensions you've been to?” Riku blinked, a completely unguarded expression of exasperation forming. Hiro immediately started to laugh, arms lowering from behind his head.   
“Oh  _ man _ , you should see your face right now! That's the most expression I've seen on you since we met.” He laughed a little more, looking up at Riku with an amused expression, one brow slightly raised. “I'm just kidding, dude, relax. You can tell me all about them later, when it's safe and no one can catch you breaking travel laws.”  
“I-It's not like I never have an expression,” Riku muttered, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck, “Guess I'm just reserved. Sora says I'm a little too intimidating.”  
“You can be,” Hiro replied with unrestrained honesty, “But, I kinda think it suits you.” He offered a friendly smile, propping his hands on his hips. Riku felt a familiar tug of warmth between them and realized that the Light within Hiro's heart was starting to form a connection. They hadn't known each other long, but Hiro's connection to Sora seemed to finally be reaching out toward the rest of the hearts wound within the web. He expected that from people connected to Sora.  
“You said you've seen other dimensions, right? What did you mean?”  
“The wormholes,” Hiro said, starting to walk again. Riku lagged for a moment before he walked alongside the shorter, arms swinging at his sides. He silently waited for Hiro to continue. “Inside the portal I lost Baymax in, there were these... fractals. All of these colors swirling together and, every few turns, I saw them – these blue spheres that looked like  _ tunnels.  _ They looked really similar to the portal I had entered in. Ever since I saw those, I knew there was more out there and I've been  _ dying  _ to see what there is. I was never really  **sure** until Sora showed up. I knew, without a doubt, that they were real – Sora wasn't exactly blending in. I kept insisting on rebuilding Silent Sparrow Portal so we could explore and extend our reach, but everyone protested against it. They said it was  _ too dangerous _ .” He sighed heavily. “They always underestimate me.” 

Such a familiar conflict – knowing that there was something beyond the ocean horizon, yearning to see it, and being told it might be impossible. Childish dreams that turned to reality as the darkness swept their home and took him into its cold clutches. While Riku admired Hiro's enthusiasm and curiosity ( undying as it was ), he was worried about what the darkness would do with such a desire. It could very well lead Hiro astray with promises of freedom and a glimpse into the beyond. He didn't doubt the strength of Hiro's heart, but he  _ did  _ doubt his ability to resist. It wasn't because he thought he was weak, but because he had seen it himself – he had lived it. Such desires were  _ dangerous _ , yet he didn't have it in him to simply shut him down right away. Better to ease him down than drop him – it was what Sora would have said.   
“They're just worried about you,” Riku supplied after a moment of thought, “I'm sure they trust you just fine.”  
“I know, I just-”

Hiro was interrupted by the ringing chime of his phone. He reached into his pocket and pulled it up, swiping the screen over. The screen illuminated just as Honey Lemon let out a loud cry. She was pressed against what appeared to be a window, smashed by something green-  _ oh no _ .  
_ “Hiro! Hiro, something's wrong with the Mayoi!”  
_ “Well, I hate to say I told you so, but I  **told** you so. What's going on?”  
_ “The Mayoi were getting bigger and bigger, so Kairi and I brought them to Karmi-”  
_ “Kairi is with you? Is she okay,” Riku asked, leaning over Hiro's shoulder to see. Kairi's small hand was waving from part of the green... fur? Fuzz? Hiro let out a startled sound.   
“Why is Kairi there,” he asked, sounding both worried and shocked.   
_ “We were checking out my new pet!”   
_ “Sora?” Both Riku and Hiro stared at the screen as a tuft of brown hair shuffled across the screen like the fin of a prowling shark. Hiro glanced to Riku, who glanced back, and the two both wore similar expressions – bemusement.  
_ “It's getting bigger!”  
“Hiro, can you meet us at the school?”  
“And can you bring some kinda science solution? Something really cool!”  
_ “I'll be right there.” Hiro hesitated to hang up, watching the three struggle to move around the Mayoi. “Be careful, okay?”  
_ “We're okay, Hiro. Can you call Saiichi?”  
_ “I'll see you in ten minutes. I'm calling Saiichi now.” He hung up the phone and let out a long, tired sigh. “Of course he got one of those stupid things. Why wouldn't he?”  
“He probably thought it was cute,” Riku mused, looking to Hiro. “Should we be worried?”  
“Well, we shouldn't go in without some armor.” He looked Riku up and down before nodding. He looked to his phone and pressed the  _ Skymax icon,  _ sending out the signal for his suit to be delivered to a location he tapped – an alley nearby. “I'll suit up and then we can go – wait right there,” he said, rushing toward the alley.  
“Hiro,” Riku called before Hiro could safely hide between buildings, “Are you sure about this?”  
“They're plant based monsters with freakishly weird growing rates. What's the worst that could happen?”

 

* * * * * *

Liv Amara had  **outsmarted** him. The irritation and frustration that Hiro felt was almost palpable as he flicked one of the smaller Mayoi from his shoulder. Brows were pressed, eyes glaring as he stared up at the blonde biochemist. How convenient it was that she happened to show up  _ just  _ in time, with a solution she just  _ happened  _ to create, to shrink the Mayoi back down to size. Blaming Mr. Sparkles for the creation of the monsters – somehow getting him to admit it was him – how did she manage to work around him so easily? What had he missed? He was reluctant to trust her – a voice within told him not to. A voice so familiar, yet echoing across the expanse as if it were within his own heart. 

_ She's playing you. _

“ _Hiro,”_ Baymax had said, _“This is the: only option.”_ Begrudgingly, Hiro took the machine with the solution, strapping the pack on his back and gripping the shooter in his hands.   
“Thanks,” he spat bitterly. The entire team seemed to be equipped ( thanks to that creepy assistant and Karmi ), and they were shrinking the Mayoi down to size. Some of them, however, refused to shrink and only seemed to grow larger once the solution made contact with their fungus surface. Hiro was knocked from Baymax's back as his own solution ran out, body wriggling as he shrugged off the device and made way across the street. 

“This isn't working!”

Hiro stumbled as the once small Mayoi towered over him, swinging a massive arm toward him. He ducked down, barely missing the attempted hit. He scrambled along the ground, quickly getting to his feet to outrun the looming creature. The Mayoi had grown at a rapid pace and, as they did, new  _ features  _ began to reveal themselves. Between the tufts of green were masses of black, oozing down the large bodies, creating dripping claws. Hiro ducked down again and quickly ran forward, sliding between the massive legs.   
“Isn't this the entertainment of the season, folks? The end of  _ Big Hero  _ 6!” Hiro grit his teeth, eyes glaring through his visor as his focus zoomed in on Sparkles. The former internet sensation was causing terror across the city and, perhaps worst of all, was making his story  _ plausible _ . 

“Doubtful. Take out Sparkles – he's controlling the Mayoi through the plant communication!”  
“Got it.”  
“On it.”  
“Avoid the black puddles. They look like tar.”   
Despite their size, the Mayoi were able to move much quicker than physically possible – another effect from the oozing sludge that seemed so familiar. 

_ A hand pressed to glass, sludge oozing over him, threatening to swallow him into an abyss. _

Hiro froze, staring up at one of the Mayoi. Monstrous as they were, there was something he was feeling that was far from Sparkles' control. A distant cry for mercy as pain washed over him in waves. 

_ It hurts! I'm angry – make it stop! _

Eyes focused on the bleeding heart twisting into shape. On their chests was an odd symbol – one Hiro had never seen before, but Riku seemed to recognize right away.  
“What are the  _ Unversed  _ doing here?”  
“Riku ! We've gotta help them, we're the only ones who can!” Sora ran forward, swinging his Keyblade up, fighting back one of the creatures, spinning mid-air to catch a higher upswing. Riku followed suit, sliding on his heel to swing low, aiming to take out the legs. “Saiichi, if you can keep them coming, we can take them out!” Hiro nodded and looked to Sora. He gave one more nod before running a new plan through his network, sending it to the team.

Together, Sora and Riku seemed to take down most of the Mayoi, but their masses seemed to grow and they continued to rage with aggression. Hiro and his team were running maneuvers to try and outsmart them. Hiro was running across the street, planning on jumping up and over one of the fallen, shrinking Mayoi when he heard a loud crash. He turned quickly, noticing one of the Mayoi  _ changing _ . 

Sludge oozed and spread over it in thick layers, fuzzy claws turning sharp and tufts swirling into ribbons. Eyes from green to a blood red and a hulking mass turning almost too large, spine ( was that a spine ?), bending as the creature arched forward. Jaws parted as a trilling screech shook the buildings along the street, cracks forming in windows.  
“What is that?!”  
“Guys,  _ run _ ! I don't know what it is,” Hiro shouted. It wasn't a Heartless, that was for sure. It looked almost interesting as black soon glowed into neon pinks and blues, green accents brightening along its large body. Interesting and  **deadly** . On all fours, the creature turned its head this way and that, quickly taking in its surroundings before lashing out at Riku.   
“Riku!” Kairi's voice cut across the makeshift battlefield, concern clear as day. Hiro skid on his boots, visor scanning for Riku. He caught sight of the silver hair and a tall frame slowly struggling to rise up. Sora was busy blocking one of the Mayoi's arms, blue eyes quickly locating Riku, worry clear on his face. Kairi was too far and Baymax was preoccupied working with Fred and Wasabi. Hiro looked between Riku and the advancing creature. From Riku, to the creature, to Kairi, to Sora, to his friends, then back to Riku. He heard the echoing voice of his  **brother** in his mind.  
_ Someone has to help _ . 

“Riku, hold on! I'm coming- _Saiichi,_ no!”

Hiro ran straight for Riku, eyes focused on him and the weapon at his side – the Keyblade. He spared a glance at the advancing Unversed, pulling a claw up for a downward swing. It seemed the growth of the creature, coupled with the odd transformation, had significantly slowed its swings. Still, he could see the power building behind it, the pavement uprooted in many places. Hiro pushed himself to run faster, cursing his short legs for moving him so slowly. And yet, somehow, he felt  **fast** . Armored body moved in a flash of glowing purple as he quickly skid onto his knees, gloved hands reaching out for Riku's arms, back to the Unversed swinging down.   
“Hey, are you okay?”  
“Ugh... hit my head, I think. I'm all right.”  
“We gotta move, Beanstalk” Hiro leaned into his view and Riku registered.  
“H-Hiro? I thought- what are you doing?”  _ He's not ready for this _ . Riku's eyes seemed to widen, then look upward, “Watch out!”

He could feel the wind of the swing before the claws. Hiro only had a few seconds to think and, although a genius, the pressure was almost too much. Everything seemed to grow silent as he only focused on his own breathing. He exhaled and his eyes looked to Riku. He was saying something, but Hiro couldn't  _ hear  _ him. His eyes flicked to Braveheart lying beside Riku, the shadow of their enemy growing darker. Darkness – Riku had said the  _ darkness  _ was coming for him. Fear gripped his heart and he could hear the thudding of the organ rapidly pounding in his chest. Sora, Riku and Kairi were good friends – tightly knit like he was with his own. But, they had a history together that Hiro could never compare to – could never truly say he knew. But, he could  _ learn _ . That spark of hope ignited movement and, in the dark shadow of the looming  _ hatred  _ behind him, Hiro felt the selfless notion to  _ protect _ . He moved in the way and Riku felt himself knocked back as a loud crash rumbled the street, a bright light shooting in splaying rays upon impact.

Riku clenched his eyes, the light too bright to see through. After a moment, he slowly opened them, hearing the sound of scraping and sparks popping from metal. He let out a startled sound as he registered the sight behind him. Hiro was pinned to the ground, gloved hands gripping Braveheart horizontally, blocking the large claw from completely smashing the two of them. He had his boots planted against part of the massive arm, razor claw tips scraping against his armor. Hiro pushed against the weapon as hard as he could, keeping the Unversed at bay.  
“... Hiro-!”   
“Get up and move,” Hiro shouted, “I don't know how long I can- oh  _ crap! _ ” The claw slammed down again and again, Hiro twisting and moving to block as best he could – until the weapon in his hand disappeared. “...  _ Oh no _ .” Braveheart was gone and Hiro immediately rolled to the side to avoid the falling claw. He quickly scrambled to get up, Riku's hands helping him, Sora and Kairi approaching from the left and right. Riku summoned Braveheart once more, twisting it in his grip as he looked to the armored hero.  
“...Thank you.”  
“Hey, someone had to help. I admit, that was kinda sick.” Sora skid beside them, Kairi remaining a distance away as she seemed to be focusing on one of her magic spells ( Hiro wasn't sure what else to call them, really). Riku nodded and moved to join her, swinging to distract the Unversed while she cast a Lightning spell, bright strikes impacting around them.  


“That was so  _ cool _ ,” Sora said, blue eyes bright with interest and awe, “I can't believe you used Riku's Keyblade! I didn't even know that was possible!”   
“Must have been a once-in-a-lifetime fluke,” Saiichi replied, huffing a little, “I just thought about protecting him and went for it. He's your friend, right? He's important.”  
“Wow. That's... really brave, Saiichi. What if it didn't work?”  
“I-I dunno. I wasn't thinking about that.” Sora's expression seemed to soften and he wore a bright smile, a hand reaching out for his shoulder. Saiichi really was a good-hearted person, wasn't he? And despite being called Saiichi, Hiro felt his heart swell with something different than pride – it was something  _ fluttering  _ and very different. Hiro couldn't fight back the smile as he almost relaxed too much under the stare. Sora gave him that sunshine grin and a tip of his head, his other hand gripping his own Keyblade.   
“You're  **amazing** , Saiichi.” Saiichi laughed a little, but his visor flashed with a warning.  
_ :: Impact imminent ::   
_

“Sora, look out-!” _   
_ He shoved Sora away from him just as the claw smacked against him. Like a simple flea being flicked from the back of a dog, Hiro felt his feet leave the ground before the bone-shattering pain was felt. He flew through the glass windows of the nearby building, disappearing into the depths of its empty lobby. Partially collapsed hallway walls blocked the entrance and the building let out a low hiss as a cloud of dust and drywall puffed out. Sora sat stunned on the ground, staring with wide eyes at the spot Saiichi had been standing in, gaze drifting to the destroyed windows. He couldn't see Saiichi at all – no. Not Saiichi – 

  
“ _ Hiro!  _ ”


	11. Truth Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The dreams you're having. They're lucid. They bridge between us.”  
> “Bridge?”  
> “You have a darkness in your heart. When you dream, you pull in so much of it around you. That's why you and I keep meeting. We're tugging the same string.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N :: Here we are! I know I've been updating rather quickly recently and I'm very happy that people are enjoying the updates! I hope you continue to read and enjoy. The plot thickens and, well, some revelations are had. Thank you for reading and, as always, I encourage any feedback ! Enjoy! 
> 
> CW:: There is some mild blood, injury and vomiting ( Unversed creation ) in this chapter!

The steady drip of water was almost too loud, each plunking drop a bang on his eardrums. Beneath the steady tempo, he could hear the whirring of machinery, soft beeps echoing from somewhere – a distant sound. And then – a _loud_ explosion – shattering glass showering down as metal supports groaned in despair. Eyes slowly cracked open, vision red and blurry, as if staring through a tinted lens. He winced, the back of his head throbbing as he slowly came to, staring into a dark sky. _Black_ and thick with smoke cover. He inhaled, coughing as he choked on soot and ash. He slowly moved his arms, gloved hands pressing to the concrete beneath him as he pushed himself up. Heat greeted him instantly, a rush of hot wind cascading across his skin, blowing hair from his face. Eyes winced, and he lifted a hand to block the wind and bright blaze of the inferno before him. Slowly registering, he lowered the hand, eyes staring at the horror from between his now splayed digits. A bad dream – it had to be a bad dream. He closed his eyes once more, brows pinching as pain pulsed from the back of his head to his forehead.

_' You all right, bonehead? '_

Once more, eyes opened wide and Hiro looked up. The smoky air was gone, replaced by the steam of the café's coffee makers. The scent of burnt wood was washed away by fresh coffee bean and freshly baked scones. The building, once a blazing inferno, was now gone ; in its place was the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the café, empty save for him and the person standing at the door. That  _tall_ figure with ridiculously broad shoulders, mismatched outfit ( down to those pathetic excuses of shoes ), and an unforgettable hat. He never went  _anywhere_ without his hat.   
“...Tadashi?”  
_' You sure you're okay? You look pretty nervous. '  
_ “Is – is this really happening?”  
_' Why wouldn't it be? You still sleepy or something? '  
_ “You – you're – the fire...”  
_' Hiro. Enough. You're fine._ _**I'm** _ _ fine. Everything's okay. ' _

_   
_ Everything was... okay? Hiro stared down at the café table, gloved fingers smoothing over the surface. He didn't understand – none of what he was experiencing should be possible. There were no second chances. Tadashi was gone – he was sure of that.  
_ ' Hey, knucklehead. Are you listening? '  
_ “None of this should be possible,” Hiro breathed, looking up, staring at his brother's familiar face. A face that twisted into a smile, soft and as gentle as always. His head ached, but the more he started to think of a  _ possibility _ , the less it hurt.  
_ ' Nothing is impossible, Hiro. '  
_ “But-” A throbbing pain. He winced and looked away, jaw tight. Tadashi chuckled and tipped his head.   
_' What are you stalling for, Hiro? Today's the big day ! Come on. '_

Big day? Delayed response left him staring dumbly as the door to the café closed and the murky image of his brother started to grow distant. The big day – the  _Expo_ . Hiro stood from the table, ignoring the throbbing pulse in his head, a gloved hand gripping his head as he shoved chairs from his path. “Tadashi! Tadashi, wait!” Dizzying vision caused him to stumble and a red lens was once again dropped over his eyes. He scrubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm, armored figure practically shoving into the door as he stumbled out into the street. Among the masses of people, he spotted his brother.  
“Tadashi!” His voice echoed, but his brother didn't stop. Hiro's panic began to grow and he ran forward, bumping and weaving between impatient tourists. “Excuse me – sorry – move!” 

His cries for his brother seemed to become buried in the endless chatter of tourists and residents. Hiro slammed his armored body against them, fighting them like the rough waves of the San Fransokyo Bay. “Tadashi, wait! Don't go – we don't have to go to the expo! Tadashi!” Pushing and fighting, he broke free and ran. The sea of people seemed to shift, a pathway created as he ran straight for his brother. Gloved hand outstretched as he reached for the sleeve of the forest green blazer. “Tadashi-”  
_“Stop, Hiro.”_

_  
_ Hiro gasped as something seemed to slam into his chest, knocking him back, the wind flying from his lungs. He gasped, coughing as his head smacked against the pavement. He cried out, clutching his skull as the pain began to split, bright pops of light bursting in his vision like exploding stars. He twisted onto his side, curling in on himself ( as far as his armor would let him ), teeth clenched so tightly, he swore they would crack and shatter. The cacophonous voices of the streets faded and his vision slowly grew darker. The silhouette of his brother standing above him was almost reassuring, except it turned, back of the worn blazer now facing him. “T-Tadashi...” He reached out, arm falling against the sidewalk as his eyes fell shut, the pain too much for him to take. He felt the odd sensation of floating, except he felt as if he were floating  _down_ – sinking. Deeper and deeper, as if down a long tunnel, pulling him further beneath the city.

  
_“Not so fast...”  
_ Something wrapped around his wrist, carefully easing him down, draping him upon the ground with a light toss. Senses returned slowly – the scent of stuffy air, the dry taste in the mouth, the rush of a chill. Rising up was the whirring of machines, now louder than before. The gentle humming only made his head hurt more and he let out a pained wheeze. Lungs burned as he gasped in a gulp of air, coughing as he came back around.   
_“We really should stop meeting like this.”  
_ Brown eyes slowly opened and panned upwards, the blurry vision of a red cell becoming vaguely clear. Hiro was lying on his side, cheek pressed against the cold ground, arms slack at his sides. Exhaustion was beginning to settle in, leaving him an almost useless mass on the ground. He let out a soft sound of pain as he tried to move, his head throbbing, a wave of nausea causing him to sink back down with a groan.

  
_“Your nightmares are strong.”  
_ “Nnh... nightmares?” He spit to the side and eased himself up on his knees, sinking down with one arm wrapped around his stomach, the other cradling his head. “My head.”  
 _“Did you hurt yourself?”  
_ “I don't know. I can't really remember. Everything seems so... mixed up. I'm **confused**.”

“ _The dreams you're having. They're lucid. They bridge between us.”  
_ “Bridge?”  
 _“You have a darkness in your heart. When you dream, you pull in so much of it around you. That's why you and I keep meeting. We're tugging the same string.”_ A chuckle echoed from behind the cell wall, dark mass slowly forming in thick drips. _“All of that_ _ **rage**_ _inside of you is_ _ **delicious**_ _.”_

Hiro slowly blinked, turning his head to look at the cell as the dripping form began to manifest. Two claws slammed against the glass as wobbly legs swayed, yellow eyes staring through the protective screen. As the sludge dripped down, it formed the skeletal cage of ribs, a gaping hole where a beating heart should be. And yet, there was just a  _ sliver  _ of something shimmering against the oil-slick cavity. Sharp nails curled against its surface, scraping with a loud screech. Hiro winced and ducked down, the sound causing a twist in his stomach.  
_ “You keep it hidden, don't you?”  
_ “I don't like to feel that way,” Hiro ground out, brows furrowed as he looked back to the cell.  
_ “But why not, Hiro? Why, with all of that rage, you could be unstoppable.”  
_ “I don't want to be unstoppable,” Hiro shouted, glaring at the slowly forming figure within the cell.  _ Hell _ , his head hurt. He lifted a hand to scrub it up his face, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose gently, eyes closing. “I just want to help people.”  
_ “So who helps you?” _

His brows furrowed. Though the question was curious enough, Hiro felt uneasy with the sudden confrontation. Gloved hand slowly pulled away, eyes staring hazily at the other, a blurry stare directed back at him. The dripping figure was more solid now, though shadow concealed most of the details, and it slowly pulled its claws from the glass.  _ “No one helps you, do they?”  
_ “They do – my friends. My  _ team _ . They help me – we help each other.”  
_ “But, deep down, do they really? With the things that hurt the most?” _   
“The – what?” 

There was a sudden shudder, lights flickering as a low groan rumbled through the pipes. The cell the stranger was in illuminated with a neon green light and a howling cry of pain pierced the air. Hiro winced and clutched his head, doubling over himself as his vision slowly blurred and ran red. Red sight settled on the cell, watching as the shadowed silhouette fell to his knees, claws lifting to catch and strain the sludge running from his jaws like thick paint. A waterfall of oily liquid that splattered on the ground, every choking gasp welcoming a new wave. Splotches of thick sludge pooled at his knees and Hiro stared in growing horror. His vision, red and blurring still, focused on the pained expression – he could tell from the yellow eyes.

  
“H-Hey... a-are you okay?” Hiro shifted and reached up, a gloved hand pressing to the glass. “Hey! Hey, are you- !” A claw slammed against the glass, settling against the opposite gloved one, yellow eyes slowly raising to meet his. Hiro felt his breath catch and he stared, red vision heavily distorting the details. The silhouette shook his head, coughing as another wave of thick slime dragged down his lower jaw, mouth hanging open as he gasped. Hiro looked up, noticing that each pulse of the machine seemed to time well with the surge of oily substance. “Th-the machine – the  _ cell _ .”  


_ “C-Clever Light,”  _ the silhouette rasped, claws curling against the glass.  _ “Y-you have to  _ _**complete** _ _ me.”  
_ “Complete...?”   
_ “Wake up.”  _ The scenery began to turn redder, details lost as shades of red began to layer in his sights. He felt his head throb and he dropped it forward, clutching it tightly. He pulled his palm away, noticing red staining the leather surface. He slumped against the glass, trying to support himself, but lacking the energy. Suddenly sapped of all movement, he collapsed to the ground in a heap, eyelids heavy.   
“ _ You have to wake up.”  
_ His eyes closed.  
_ “Saiichi !” _

* * * * *

“Saiichi!”

Sora had all but shoved his way through the team as he raced into the damaged building, calling the hero's alias so as to protect his identity from any witnesses. He couldn't wipe the image from his mind – Hiro pushing him out of the way as he selflessly protected him from the Unversed. He spotted him lying beneath a crumbled piece of dry wall, blanketed with broken shards of window glass. His once sleek, black armor was now scuffed and scraped, luminescent lights shattered and sputtering with weak pulses of light. Sora let out a startled sound as he rushed forward, skidding along the linoleum floor, ignoring the crunching of glass beneath his shoes. “Saiichi...?”

Hands tentatively hovered over the prone body, eyes carefully taking in the damage. He set down his Keyblade and carefully reached up, fingertips pressing gently to the surface of the helmet. Ever so gently, he turned his head, trying to see what the damage might be. Thumb smoothed along the temple area of the audial, pad of his finger sinking into a fissure. Beneath the spider-webbed cracks of the visor, he saw a set of closed eyes and a trickle of blood sliding across his face. Saiichi was injured and Sora needed to see the wound before trying to heal it ( while using magic wasn't forbidden, suddenly healing injuries could be jarring to all parties involved – or so Riku had warned). But, Sora hesitated as he surveyed the helmet. He would have to remove it in order to see.

Saiichi and the rest of the team kept their identities a secret for a reason. And though Sora knew the truth now and knew about Hiro, he still felt the need to respect his privacy. To remove his helmet while he was unconscious was a great risk and held the possibility of breaking their trust forever. Carefully, he settled a hand on his shoulder and shook just enough to jostle him, the other hand holding his head steady.  
“Saiichi...?” Nothing. “Saiichi, please. Wake up.”

A few more gentle shakes brought forth a low groan, Saiichi's eyelids barely fluttering before they grew heavy. Sora leaned over his face, a hand slipping along his helmet to hold the side. “Saiichi?”  
“S-S'ra?”  
“Yeah, it's me. Listen, you hit your head really hard. I have to take your helmet off -”  
“Nn – no. Leave i'on. Can't see...”  
“Hey.” Sora leaned over him and looked into his barely open eyes, voice in a hushed whisper. “It's okay. I won't tell anyone who you are. You can trust me, Saiichi.”   
“S'posed t'be a secret.”

Sora offered a soft smile, feeling concern for his friend growing as he watched his eyes struggle to complete a full blink. He gently shook his shoulder again. “Please? Someone has to help you.”

Recognition dawned in slivers of hidden brown. Saiichi stared up at Sora and he took a long moment before whispering a soft, ' _ okay _ .'   
“Okay. Keep your eyes open. I've got you.” 

Sliding one hand beneath the base of his neck, Sora spread his fingers and slid his hand up into the back of the helmet. The other caught the chin guard and he slowly pulled the helmet from his head. The unmistakable mess of hair was what caught his attention first and Sora knew, without a doubt, that his genius friend was actually the same hero he had befriended all along. The same messy hair, the same brown eyes ( albeit darker than usual ), and the gap tooth he had never matched together before. Perhaps it was because he never wanted to break the illusion – heroes needed those. Hiro let out a slight sound of pain, eyes squeezing shut as his teeth grit, pain spearing across his skull. Sora set the helmet aside and eased Hiro's head back to the ground, keeping his palm beneath the back to keep it cushioned. He could feel the warmth of blood on his palm, but nothing too alarming ( though, for Sora, it was all alarming), and reached up with his free hand to brush strands of hair from his face. Dark bangs shifted aside to reveal a troubled expression, brown eyes averted under heavy lids.  
“Hiro...?”

“Th'monster...” Hiro felt nauseous. The world was spinning and oozing red with pops of light sparkling like fireworks. Although he had seen Sora initially, the image of him blurred and he had to look away before the colors caused the churning in his stomach to return.   
“The monster – oh. The Unversed? Riku and Kairi are taking care of it.” Sora's concern only grew as Hiro seemed to mutter words that barely matched – he wasn't making much sense. His eyes closed tight and then opened, but never fully, a glaze of pained tears lingering.   
“S-splitting.” Sora shifted to better support his head, trying to keep him steady, his other hand resting against his collar.  
“It's okay. Just try not to move a lot,” Sora said softly, trying to determine the damage, “I'm pretty sure that's the golden rule when it comes to head injuries.” He chuffed quietly and watched Hiro's eyes try to look around, though he seemed too disoriented and dizzy to register properly.

“Does anything else hurt?”  
“Nnh...” Hiro tried to shake his head, but Sora's hand held it still.  
“No no, don't move. Baymax is probably gonna bust in here soon.” The mention of the robot's name made Hiro freeze, eyes dragging a slow path toward Sora. He lifted a gloved hand, trying to touch his head, but something wrapped around his arm-guard, stopping his movement. Eyes locked with sky blue and Hiro let out a shaky breath, panic clearly rising within him.   
“It's okay, Hiro. It's okay, no one can see.”  
“Y-You... can.” Though the words were shaky, Hiro could feel the weight of his own emotion dragging down his words. “Y-You can s-see me...”  
“That's okay. I told you, I won't tell anyone.”  
“You were th-the _last_ person I w-wanted to show-!” His pained words were cut off by a cry as he felt a sharp stab in the back of his head, body shuddering in a slight spasm. Sora quickly tried to steady him, cradling his head in both hands.

The last person he wanted to show? A crease formed between his brows as he looked over Hiro with worry. What did he mean...? Sora's lips twisted into a concerned frown as Hiro's eyes grew heavier and closed for longer than he would have liked. He looked up toward the entrance of the building, noticing the flashing lights of police vehicles. He looked back down, watching Hiro's tired eyes struggle. Why wouldn't Hiro want him to know the truth – weren't they friends? Part of him hurt from the words the hero had shouted, but another part felt empathy. He recalled the moment on the pier, where Hiro had become upset by the notion that Sora wanted to befriend Saiichi over him. Did Hiro think that Sora wouldn't like it?

He looked back down, worry clear on his face as he reached a hand around and held the side of Hiro's head. If anything, Sora was more _impressed_ with Hiro than ever before. After seeing glimpses into his daily life, now knowing the truth of it all, Sora realized that his friend was clearly _more_ than capable ; completely talented and full of strong spirit, Hiro continued to amaze him at every turn. Why couldn't _Hiro_ see that? He pulled a hand free from his head, reaching for the Keyblade settled at his side.  
“Hold on, Hiro. This might feel weird.”

Raising the Kingdom Key over Hiro, he gently set the cool crown crest against Hiro's forehead. He focused on the wound and closed his eyes, trying to pull forth just enough magic to lessen the injury, but not completely erase it ( that would disrupt world order, after all). Green mixed with gold as a burst of light popped over the genius' skull, tendrils of light spiraling outward as leaves sprouted and spun into a fading shimmer. “ _Heal_.”

Hiro couldn't deny the soothing sensation of something cool against his aching forehead. He closed his eyes, dizzying vision too much for him to stomach. He swallowed thickly, feeling nausea rising up, threatening to bring up more than breakfast. It was such an odd sensation – a soothing wave, like a warm blanket draping over his head, cascading over the features of his face. Behind the safety of his eyelids, he could vaguely make out the bright surges of light as the pain in the back of his head seemed to ease. As if under a cool compress, the pressure was starting to fade away, trickling down the back of his neck and disappearing beneath the warm presence of fingers gently massaging. Brows furrowed as he slowly opened his eyes, eyelids fluttering as his vision slowly adjusted.

No longer blurry, he could finally see Sora clearly, and the worried expression on his face seemed to make his stomach twist in knots. The situation began to come back to him and, despite having been disoriented before, clarity created a new wave of panic. What had happened to the pain? His symptoms seemed to have reduced by half and Hiro let out a startled sound. And his helmet – his _helmet_. He tried to sit up quickly, but Sora's hands stopped him, one still holding the back of his head, the other resting just beneath his armored shoulders to support him, the bend of his arm keeping his collar still.

“Whoa wait- Hiro, wait,” Sora said gently, “I know – it's a little weird at first, but I didn't heal you all the way. You're still gonna need some doctor stuff.” Slowly, Sora pulled his hand free from his head and the arm slowly fell from his front, leaving Hiro simply resting back against his arm before helping him sit up properly.  
“...What the hell was _that_?”  
“It was just a healing spell-”  
“A _what_?”  
“A healing spell – look, it's okay. I didn't heal it all the way. No one's gonna know.”  
“M-My helmet,” Hiro stuttered, looking around for it. Sora reached to his side and grabbed the dark helmet, gently guiding it into Hiro's waiting hands. Hiro stared down at the shattered visor and cracked helm, his reflection damaged by the fissure. He could see his own conflicted expression, his eyes lowering as he realized his secret was no longer a _secret._ He lifted a hand, gloved finger tracking along its black surface. “Ouch. That's gonna be a pain to fix.”  
“You scared me,” Sora said quietly, and Hiro looked up.

Their eyes met and Hiro's lips pressed into a thin line. Brows knit tightly as he swallowed thickly, trying to find the right words. Sora's expression was so open, easy to read and completely unguarded. He could see the concern of a friend, but, most of all, he saw not a single trace of disappointment. He took a deep breath through his nose, feeling his muscles tensing as he searched his mind for a phrase – anything. Sora's worried frown seemed to lift into a warm, comforting smile.   
“Sora, I – I didn't – I mean, it wasn't –”   
“Hiro.” A hand settled atop his and Sora tipped his head with a gentle expression. Hiro felt his heart rate rapidly increasing ( or skipping ) and he instinctively leaned away, though Sora wasn't even _that_ close.  
“We can talk about it later, okay? Let's just get you out of here and have Baymax check out your head.”  
“... uhm, yeah. Right.”

Sora smiled as he moved to slide his feet under himself, dismissing his Keyblade as both arms reached out. Hiro slid his helmet on slowly, careful not to somehow jostle the healed wound ( he wasn't sure if that was how it worked, but he supposed he could find out later). He moved to stand and, with Sora's helping hands, managed to make it to his feet before he became mildly dizzy. He felt his arm being guided up and Hiro let out a slight sound as he arched on his toes for a moment.   
“You're too tall,” Hiro huffed and Sora chuckled sheepishly, crouching just a little to ease the other back to his normal stance.  
“Heh, sorry about that.”  
“... No you're not.”  
“No, not really,” Sora said, a bright smile on his face as he jokingly made a face at the other. With one arm around his shoulder, hand grasping the arm guard, Sora quickly wrapped an arm around Hiro's lower back and hoisted him up. “Here, let me help you walk. You look unsteady.”

Hiro blinked behind the shattered visor, feeling his face heating up. Embarrassed – he was embarrassed, right? This was an embarrassing situation. And yet, he wasn't sure that was what it was. He blamed it on the concussion he no doubt had, walking alongside Sora. It looked like Sora had carved a path through the rubble and the blaring lights of the police vehicles was making him wince. As they made their way closer to the shattered entrance, Hiro slowed.   
“You're not mad?”  
“Mad? Hiro, I was worried you were really hurt! I'm just glad you're okay. I'd hate to lose a friend.”  
“... a friend?” Sora smiled, bright and warm – as inviting as always.   
“Well, _duh_. We're still friends. It doesn't matter if you're wearing the helmet or not.”  
“... It doesn't?”  
“Doesn't make a difference to me! In fact, it makes it kinda cool. I'm friends with a real _super hero_!”

Hiro smiled slightly, staring at Sora. He felt relieved, happy, and absolutely _foolish_. All the time he had wasted dancing around the truth and Sora didn't bat an eye at it. In fact, he accepted it without a shred of judgment. Of course, Hiro still felt that lingering doubt that Sora was just sparing him the worry for now. Sora mistook his silence as worry and he nudged against the genius.

“Come on, Hiro. I can keep a _secret_. Besides, I want you to sign one of those comic books of your team! I can't wait to show everyone back home!” Hiro couldn't stop the grateful smile that twisted upwards, feeling completely at ease for the first time as they started walking once more.  
“You gotta write a personal note. Like, ' to Sora, the coolest Keyblader to ever enter San Fransokyo' or something like that!”  
“... Heh, all right. Sounds fair.”   
“And we have _got_ to take a selfie together. Maybe we can go on some kinda mission together – something cool to take some really awesome action pics!”

Hiro smirked as they stepped through the threshold, his other hand rising to block out the police lights. Sora laughed a little, easing Hiro from his shoulder and made sure he could stand properly as the team began to approach. Media crews seemed to be busy with Liv, but Hiro's irritation was delayed for the moment. As they stood side by side, Hiro slowly turned his head and looked up at the other, chuffing slightly as he gently nudged his arm.

  
“Thank you, Sora.” Sora grinned, thumb flicking under his nose as he gave a sheepish laugh.   
“... You're welcome, _Hiro_.”


End file.
